Spare me
by Nikkitosa
Summary: Can Sookie overcome all the obstacles that fate throws her way? Can she love and trust again? And what about her new Sheriff - Godric? Can he get out of his little shell and let himself be loved? This is a story about how mistakes can lead to not only bad but even good changes; how death is unavoidable even for vampires. Godric/Sookie & Erik/OC
1. Prologue

** Prologue**

_**Bad choices lead to even worse consequences **_

The blood, thick and ruby red, is dripping from my cherry lips, down my chin, slowly and temptingly following the curves of my throat and down the valley in-between my full breasts. My yellow sundress is ripped apart here and there, showing my black sport shorts underneath and most of my long creamy legs. I'm bare footed, due to the fact that my five-inch heels with straps turned out to be quite uncomfortable during a battle. My hair, still tied in a French braid, is hanging loosely over my left shoulder, its edges covered in dried blood. '_Mother fuckers! _' I hiss mentally as I dispose of the drained, half ripped body in my left hand, tossing it near the old oak tree which has been splashed with so much blood tonight that it has turned pinkishly red. I look around the meadow which had been hosting tonight's 'major' event – the torturing of a vampire; and not an ordinary one – a fucking pureblooded one! , and sigh as I shake my head slowly. Those brainless idiots wanted to let Ian fry under the merciless rays of the rising sun, thinking that his true death would make all of us submit. Morons! If he had died tonight, we would have surely come back for vengeance, and it would have been a ruthless one. But their pitiful attempt this evening was in vain as we managed to find out what they were planning beforehand and prevent them from having the upper hand. It's a good thing we have, as they call them, spies.

My sensitive senses don't detect any movements from the breathing weaklings…mostly because there are non-left. We got carried away during the saving of Ian and killed them all. As I look around now and remember how fiercely the humans fought back I come to the conclusion that the co-existence, which that subversive bitch Flanagan babbles so much about, will turn out to be a complete failure. Nobody begged for their life, not that we would spare them, but still they didn't look like deluded or surprised bunch of people which makes me think that all this was just a trap for us to come and attack them. However it turned out to be a complete downfall for them, but I must admit that their will, or most likely imposed principles, made me wonder how much were they willing to sacrifice for their so called 'cause'?

"That was quite… uplifting." says Mack as he sweeps the blood from his chin with somebody's black chiffon mantle, which now looks like a cheap rag.

"We were not here to have fun, Mack." I remind him casually as I give the meadow another criticizing look.

"Yes, but one doesn't preclude the other." He whines quietly, as he sees that I'm giving him the nasty look. "Fine, fine. Let's leave."

With that and a last look at the bloody slaughterhouse covered in corpses left behind, we vanish like we were never there.

Ian isn't happy about the mess we left behind us, and I don't blame him. The bloodshed in San Diego is still running all over the news in USA, if not even whole America. Every single reporter says that nobody has ever seen such a bloodbath before. Of course Nan Flanagan tries, vainly, to make people believe that it wasn't our kind's fault. Well, I'm sure that she and the Authority are having Ian by the balls and until they get a confession out of him what actually happened and why did it happen they'll just continue to lie to the humans.

As a Sheriff of area 14 Ian is having a lot of responsibilities, one of which is to keep his vampires in check. So a mass murder leads to a black points for him and our area as whole in the notebook of the Authority. The Queen of California – Samantha, was so pissed that she threatened to, I quote **"…rip somebody's fangs out and stick ém in his white ass!" **if we don't fix the mess soon. Yet Ian keeps quiet and tries to explain what had happened without blaming us.

It's been a week since the massacre but things are still heated up. The local and national news are still talking about it, some people are even more enraged, while others are full of fear. I know that Samantha has offered Ian a deal in order for this charade to stop -if he wants the Authority and all the other Sheriffs to calm down he has to offer them some kind of a deal. He didn't tell us what that meant, or what were we - his most trusted team - supposed to do but his choice, or the lack of one, stayed unquestioned by us.

"They are either going to kill him or make him leave his post!" words like these could be heard around whole San Diego and its adjacent counties. Those filthy rumors made most of us even angrier but Ian was explicitly clear – even if one human dies of the hand/fangs of a vampire, heads will roll. So as much as we could we tried to stay calm and make sure that all the other vamps knew where they stood. As I had predicted they wanted to trick our Sheriff into a disadvantageous deal. But I never knew how bad things could become, until they did.

I am sitting in the library, reading a novel, trying to pray away from my troublesome thoughts when the Sheriff comes in. I leave the book immediately and rise to my feet, bowing my head slightly in respect and avoiding direct eye contact.

"Sit, my child." He says and I feel cold shivers run down my spine. It has been near a century since he last called me that. And his voice sounds so… tired.

I do as I am told; forth seeing what will come next. I have known Ian for over seven centuries and I am sure that trouble is knocking at our door. His skin looks paler than usual; he has dark circles under his eyes, his usually neatly pulled back black hair is now messy … as whole he looks broken and in a desperate need of some sleep. He smiles sadly and sits next to me.

"I know the things I'm about to say won't be on your liking, but I ask you to listen to me carefully, childe, and know that I'm doing this in order to save you."

After that is said he tells me what has happened during the meeting with the Authority, about what they wanted and how he had to lead the battle on his own. Nobody wanted to believe that we just wanted to save him, nor that the lives taken in between the process of finding and saving were indirect victims. They all needed a scapegoat and the only one who could be blamed was Ian. They really wanted to trick him, but he managed to slip away the first time. So they came up with a cruel, yet efficient, plan B – to hit where it hurts. The deal was quite simple – my life for his. He declined that, offering his own life in order to save mine, but they didn't want to hear it. Seeing where things were going to he decided to make a compromise – they would spare my life, but I was obliged to leave Area 14 and go to Dallas, where I was supposed to serve the local Sheriff. My maker was going to leave his place in the society and never be able to regain it…. but would stay alive eventually. That is all I needed to hear.

"I'll do it." are my final words before I excuse myself and disappear into the hallway, leaving my father behind. The long and old corridor was empty and silent. The only thing that could be heard is the rhythmical clatter of my high heels as I hurry away from the library. My heart is clenched and the emptiness of the mansion makes me feel even worse. 'If only there was a way…'

I meet my brother in the kitchen where he is making himself a quick snack. We usually feed from donors or animals in the nearby woods, but every once in a while we drink the syntactical blood-shit –in-a-bottle. My stomach makes a flip when I catch the distinctive smell of chemicals.

"Man, I'm hungry!" he roars facetiously and peaks at me from behind his shoulder.

I don't look at him as I sit on one of the chairs that are situated round the table and pat the empty spot next to me. It takes Jason a few seconds but when he feels the sudden change in atmosphere he takes the free seat and looks at me. My hands are tightly clenched into one another on the table and only when my brother places his hands atop of mine I notice that I am shaking. And then the questions start to bombard me as a bunch of high-tech rockets. With every passing second I understand why I have to leave and why I should not tell my most beloved ones a single thing. All of the questions my brother asks stay unanswered and hang in the air between us.

"I cannot tell you much but you must promise me one thing, Jason." I grab his hands and look him in the eyes. His blue orbs stare at me and like all the shock and fear in the world could be seen there. My jaw clenches as I see and feel all the pain my brother feels at this moment. 'I can't! I just can't put him through all this! ' I squeeze my eyes for a second and when I open them I have made my mind. I may be the older sibling but I can't count all the times he has come and saved my sorry ass from trouble… which is ironic having the fact that he is the one who always gets involved in fights. I squeeze his hands again and smile encouragingly.

"Everything is going to be fine. Just forget about me."

"What!? Have you gone nuts?" I feel that he's about the blow his top, so I say what I have to say before he gets the floor and starts explaining why it is a bad idea to do what I am going to do.

"I need to leave, brother, and I expect you to take care of things here while I'm away. And no, you cannot come with. Just have some faith!" I cup his pale face. He looks like somebody has ripped his hearth out. The sparks in his eyes disappear right in front of me and it breaks my heart to see him leaving all hope. I take a deep breath and make a weak attempt to smile at the blonde male. He only shakes his head.

"You are one hell of a troublemaker, ya know!?"

"I know… but you're the one to tell!"

"Hah! You betcha'!"

The plane's turbines are the only noise that keeps me in this reality. I feel broken, like somebody has tossed me in a silver cage, not letting me out, laughing over my miserable attempts to break free. The conversation with Ian, the last we had actually, is still spinning in my head so clearly that it's like I'm reliving it all over again.

_He doesn't look me in the eyes. His head is bowed down, like in shame, and he keeps quiet for more than a minute. I want to ask him so many questions, yet I don't find it proper to interrupt somebody's privet thoughts like that. But soon the silence is broken by a low, quiet sigh. Ian lifts his head, his brownish eyes staring right at me, full of desperation and sadness. I only manage to inhale, before he starts speaking, making my throat tighten painfully and leave no place for air once the meaning of the words sinks in._

'_I know you may hate me for this, but you must do as I say. You're taking the next plane to Tucson, Arizona where a car will be waiting for you. It will take you in a hotel near Benson. Right after sunset you'll take another plane that will drop you off near Dallas. A black SUV will take you from there and drive you to the nest.' The words leave his mouth so fast that before I can comprehend their meaning, he starts speaking again._

'_The Sheriff there, Godric, will welcome you in his nest and you'll obey all his needs and commands like I had given them to you. No one must know what happened here, Sookie, not even your brother, so you'll leave all traces of your life up until now here, in San Diego. Bury them so deep that nobody would even dare to look for them. Do as I say, my dearest, so that you would continue your path unharmed.'_

_There is another brief pause, giving me the time to digest most of the information and the fact that now I'm supposed to leave my family and go somewhere else. But just like the previous time, my maker starts talking before I can even ask some questions._

'_He promised to take care of you. If I had another choice, dearest, I'd have even scarifies myself, for you to not leave your home like this. I ask for your forgiveness, being fully aware that I do not deserve it, given the fact that my bad decisions reflect on you and your well-being. And I truly hate myself for that. But you are strong. I believe in you – you'll make it through!'_

_With that his speech ends as well as a chapter of my life. It's been quite a long one, but it comes to a sudden and irreversible end. A tragic one, to be exact. The silence of the room is deafening, but I hold my ground, not wanting his last image of me to be all puffy, crying and broken. I hold it all in, locking it away in a small box, hidden deep into my mind. _

'Now exhale_….' Are my last thoughts before I leave._

It all happens as Ian said – the plane, the car, the hotel, most of the time it was like I wasn't even there. Those unknown to me men lead me, drove me, watched me but I could care less what they did, as long as they left me alone in my little craziness. They didn't show even a bit of interest towards me nor did I towards them. I felt so shattered and lonely, that them being there was the only string keeping me from drowning in my own misery. Yet again I kept my ground and my emotionless mask on whenever there was somebody near me. Giving a plain human the opportunity to see you so broken is like trembling in front of a hungry tiger – a sign of fear may be your downfall.

They got me on my plane to Fort Worth at 6pm sharp. I was in my sun proof coffin, of course, waiting for the huge fire ball, heading west to set and for me to rise. The sleep didn't came to me, not even once and I felt thankful, despite knowing that I need my rest and strength if anything was about to happen. The thought itself that when I close my eyes I'd see my brother's broken expression or my maker's shattered heart left me trembling. So the only logical solution was to stay awake or at least halfway.

Now, almost at the end of my journey, the only thing keeping me from crumbling down is the little faith I have left. A spark of hope that one day my maker will come for me and end my misery. Because I'm sure that my abidance in Dallas isn't going to be even the bit of joyful. I'm no fool, hovering in the clouds and thinking that my life there will be good and easy. Even now I can picture the dirty looks they will give me the second I walk in that nest of theirs. 'It will sure be one hell of a ride, Sook!' I laugh at myself as I stare out of the window at the starless sky. It's all foggy and dark, just like I feel now. I shake the dark thoughts away and look lower – at the city I'm about to land in, and wonder what'd happen if I just vanish. Yet that stupid hypothesis sound like a complete madness, knowing that the second the Authority finds out I'm gone Ian will be burnt at the stake for edification.

* * *

Ok, so this is the prologue of my newest story which is almost finished btw... I'd really like to know what you think! Yada-yada-yada ... i own nothing but the plot and Sable... Don't mind some foolish mistakes you may find in here... seriously - don't/


	2. Snapping necks won't do us any good!

Snapping necks won't do us any good!

The plane to Fort Worth landed at the Sycamore Strip airport at 8.45 pm, which made it an hour behind schedule and even then, when I passed through the passport checking and found my luggage, the men supposed to wait for me and take me to Dallas were nowhere to be seen. I checked the whole terminal, the cafés and outside in the parking lot. It was raining, so dashing through the streets would be a bad move, not to mention that the drive to Dallas was at least one hour if not even more. So I decided to wait a little bit then take things into my own hands.

Being the patient woman I am, half an hour later, I'm beyond my breaking point. I really want to snap somebody's neck, or rip out a head….. or only scream in frustration, but none of the scenarios in my head are appropriate for an airport full of people. So as calmly as I can, have in mind that I hadn't slept normally for over 24 hours due to the circumstances, I jump in the first free taxi I spot and tell the taxi driver to get me to Dallas ASAP. The old man, long past his sixties with a bold head and calm grey eyes, looks at me shocked at first but then fires the engine and the little yellow car dashes out of the airport's lands.

I'm reading a book I found in my handbag, probably thrown there by mistake, when the old man's voice brings me out of my trance.

"Are you sure you can afford to pay, miss? It's a long way to go till we reach Dallas. "

I nod. I have money in me, but if the bill's as high as he says I can always use my credit card. So I return to my book only to be brought out of it by his voice for a second time:

"The weather is awful today, don't cha think? It has never been so fuzzy and all…" I raise one of my blonde eyebrows at the word "fuzzy". 'Since when weather can be "_fuzzy_"?'

"… and the rain pours down so heavily! Never seen such a thing in my life, miss. Have you?"

His question gets me off guard. Usually nobody asks me for my opinion in such plainly matter as weather so I'm not used to giving it. Still I nod, looking out of the blurred window. The sky is dark, cloudless and blank. The deepness of the night's welkin gives up the impression that the little drops of water are coming from a place far away from this dimension. 'They may even be a goddess's tears…' I imagine a beautiful creature with long dark curls, face as white as snow, with peachy-coloured cheeks and cherry-red lips, shedding silent tears while sitting on the edge of space. Her huge hazel eyes with spots in them, now watery, look at us, down on Earth, and the tears keep on falling, even faster, as she sees all the desperation and a primitive type of wrath, settled deep into people's souls.

"Oh, golly!" mutters the driver as the car starts slowing down until it comes to a complete stop.

I try to see what's happening through my window but the water curtain and the thick fog, that actually came out of nowhere, leave no place for contemplation even for my keen eyesight. I turn to the driver only to see that he is halfway out of the cab, shouting something to a woman, a few meters away in a black BMW. His clothes are getting wetter with every second he stays out, but I keep quiet. When he is finally done shouting he gets back in, as wet as he could be, trembling and starts cleaning his glasses with thick frames.

"It looks like we'll be staying here for a while, miss!"

"How much exactly?"

"I dunno, maybe an hour and a half? Who knows?"

I instinctively look at my wrist watch and frown. 'Only 4 hours until sunrise. ' I peek at the old man who is so focused in getting the little wet spots off of his glasses that he totally ignores me until I clear my throat quite insistently. His small body jumps slightly and he turns his attention back to me.

"Isn't there a shortcut or detour. I'm in a hurry, so…"

"Sorry, miss. No detours here!"

With that said he turns his back to me again. My eyes twitch nervously. 'If I don't bring my ass to that nest before sunrise there is a great chance this old punk sees me burn like a goddamn turkey!' I hum mentally, as I look at my phone. I can call one person who will be able to come, but the idea itself sounds quite….unattractive. I gaze at the black hole in which the sky has turned into and start dialling a number that has been carved in my mind for over a century. 'Oh, how I wish I had forgotten it!' I whine to myself. After all calling someone like her is like asking the Devil for a favour! …if not even worse.

Half an hour later a silver Aston Martin AM 310 Vanquish stops just a meter and a half away from the little yellow cab I'm situated in. I open my door, step out into the pouring rain and a wave of high-pitched sounds hits me right in the head. I stumble a little bit but quickly regain my balance and with fast equal steps I near the expensive car. When I stop next to the driver's door the darkened window automatically rolls down. A strong scent of Chanel 5 embraces me. I instinctively take a defensive position, due to the bad memories that scent brings, but the bored yet impervious voice that comes out of the warm coupe stops me from any further action:

"Chill, blonde. I'm not gonna bite 'cha. "

"Don't you dare 'chill' me, you little…! "

"Fussy as always, I see. Are you getting in, or you'd like to stay here?"

I frown. 'I'm really starting to doubt my decision. ' as I look back at the cab and see the old man smoking a cigarette I sigh mentally.

"Let me get my bags."

I get back to the cab and smile at the old driver.

"Everything ok, miss?"

"Yes. A friend of mine came to take me. I'll pay you for the way up to here and for the waiting."

Before he can even protest I shove some money in his hand and rush to the boot. I open it swiftly and get my luggage out of it. Closing it with my elbow I rush to the other car, as gracefully as I can. After all I'm carrying one big black sack, one medium sized suitcase with wheels, my laptop bag and my hand bag. And let's not mention the pouring rain, the suffocating fog and the fucking loud horns of the cars! 'Why, the fuck, do they even bother? If they hit the horn 1.000 times that doesn't mean the queue will move any faster! Fucking retarded bastards!'

I open the boot of the silver Aston Martin and throw my things in. Without bathing an eyelash I close it with a loud crashing sound which results in me getting another set of high-volume horns. My hair is all wet and sticks to my face when I finally get in the car. My clothes are in the same condition and the inside of the car is covered in khaki-coloured skin… oh well. Sable Bitchy Laurel will have to deal with it one way or another!

"Oh, you didn't, you bitch!" she hisses through gritted teeth.

"Actually, I did!" I reply as casually as possible while getting my hair out of my face

Sable squints and 'hmps' but she fires the engine anyway and we leave with that smoke behind us and the 'woooooshhhh!'-ing sound that all the cartoons have.

"Who gave you a driving license?" I whisper-yell to her and buckle up my seat belt as fast as possible. With driving as Sable's it's best to be cautious!

The ride to Dallas takes us two hours but we are finally here! The whole city is cloaked with greyish fog and the streetlights are becoming useless bunch of old rusty poles. There are huge shadows that creep from the dark corners; for a moment they peak from the inside of the thick mist and retreat back to their comfy little nests of moisture and fug. There's not a living soul in sight. 'Is it just me or this place reeks of creepiness? ' I wonder as I continue observing the things we pass by, or the lack of some. Here and there the vapours are so thick that there is just a huge white spot that looks impenetrable.

"As much as I don't want to admit it this place creeps me out!" I whisper as I furrow my brows, staring intensively at the fog, trying to make out something that's actually alive… or partly alive, I don't mind.

"I know whatcha mean, blonde. I hate coming to this hellhole. It reeks of death and bad karma!" her voice sounds distant and empty like she's lost deep into her own thoughts.

I look at my companion. She is tall with the longest legs, spotless ivory skin and the biggest reddish-brownish eyes I have ever seen. Her body is well toned and muscular, but not too much, without any scars or even scratches. The thing she adores most in herself is her hair – long mass of dark chocolate curls reaching her tight ass, always looking shiny and healthy. To sum up – a woman with her looks must have become at least a model by now, right? Well, not Sable. She was never the type of girl that likes the spotlight and the flashes despite her perfect looks. I always wondered what happened to her when she was still human. Her maker, a total son of a bitch who recently went missing, doesn't give up the impression of a good father. He loves to have women around him, falling into his legs and turning into a useless mass of jelly when he decides to spare them a single glance. Sable never did that and I'm sure she never will but their relationship is none of my business so I never ask.

"You do know that staring shows lack of good manners, right?"

I blink a few times, bringing myself out of my thoughts and shift uncomfortably in my seat. I hate when I space out and others see it. Silence settles in the car, the only thing that fills it up is the roar of the engine and the pitter-patter of the raindrops hitting the roof of the Aston Martin. I return to my previous occupation following the little drops of water streaming down the window, which I assume is sun proof. Right before the silence starts to become awkward Sable says:

"We're here, blonde."

I look at her and she nods towards the house on her right. I peek from behind her shoulder and see a big white house with two French windows. The whole construction is a nice blend of white, beige and red… or something that reminds me of red, but with the lack of decent light I can't really tell… maybe it's purple? Before I can stop myself the words "This is _it_?" slip from my mouth. The brunette only puffs irritated and give me a dirty look.

"What? For a Sheriff's house it isn't big!"

"Just get your blonde ass out of the car, woman!" she hisses lowly, opens her door and gets out gracefully.

I roll my eyes but open my door as well. My high heels touch the pavement and the night's air hits me. It is a strange mixture of foggy fug, fumes from the cars and a freshness that's not supposed to be there, having the fact there isn't even the lightest whiff of wind to move the stale city air. Yet it's not hard or unpleasant to breathe it in, despite the fact that I actually don't need to. With long strides I reach the boot and grab my bags. Sable helps me though, fetching my sack and her bag… wait what?! Why does she have a bag?

"Ahh… are you staying in Dallas or something?" I mutter quietly, just to make sure nobody may overhear something.

Her reddish orbs stare back at me and a chocolate eyebrow is raised in my direction. It's quite funny actually. The pouring rain has made her hair stick to her head and curl even more at the ends; her clothes are like they were just fetched from the laundry, all creased and wet. Her makeup, on the other hand is flawless – her mascara is waterproof and I don't see any colourful drops running down her face. So she isn't looking like a wet chicken… yet she gives up that ridiculous expression of a furry wet cat that's about to bite you…

"Should I ask for your permission or something? It's still ok to stay for a few days in a cousin's house, right?" her irritated voice makes me roll my eyes.

"It was just a question, but sue me!" I whisper to myself as I start walking towards the house.

It's quite the house, actually. When you near it you see its real beauty. Not to mention the strange feeling that makes your stomach turn into a ball of nerves. The curtains are drawn so I can't see who is inside, but I'm guessing there are at least 10 people in there. 'Shit's about to get real!'

When we near the mahogany door I look at Sable and she looks back at me… somebody needs to knock after all.

"Well…. Knock, blonde! That damn door ain't gonna open itself!" she hisses at me while observing the surrounding. We definitely don't want a bunch of territorial vamps twice as old as us at our asses, so looking behind our backs every once in a while won't snap our necks. I sigh and knock three times. Silence. I do not hear anybody coming.

"Knock again. It was too quiet."

"Do you wanna knock?" I hiss-yell at her.

She glares at me and nods towards the door. I take a deep breath and close my eyes for a fraction of the second. 'Here goes nothing….' Without blinking I particularly bang at the door. I may have used a little bit more strength then necessary, though, as the massive door vibrates for a few seconds.

A minute passes by and the freezing rain is still hitting on us and the wind that came from God knows where is blowing our hair in our eyes and mouths. I look at Sable and by the expression on her face I know we are on the same page here – smashing that fucking door down that is!

"They are either deaf or are ignoring us! Sons of~ "

Sable's speech is cut short by the sudden opening of the door. A man, at least two meters tall, dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans with a grim expression on his face, stares at us like we are some kind of dirt on his new leather _Steve Madden_ boots.

"What!?" he grunts at us.

Usually for such an inappropriate way of talking to a lady, let alone myself, I would have snapped his neck or ripped his tongue of, but being in my current state I am in no way to dispense justice. Miss Laurel, on the other hand, is having none of this shit. Before I can even grab her, not that I want to, she speeds towards the man-rock and kicks him so hard in the nuts that I bite my inner cheek in order to keep my poker face and not burst in laughter right on the spot. The poor fella, thrown halfway down the hall with his face hitting the ground, grabs his crotch and howls in pain. Sable only glares at him and turns to me. She's about to tell me something when a pair of long womanly hands with red nails fly to her neck and grip it with the intention to brake it any moment. Without thinking I rush next to her and grab the attacker by the hair gripping and pulling hard. I stop myself from ripping off though, as I bring her head under my armpit and press hard using my muscles. She struggles to escape but it's no use – my grip is so strong that if I only put a little more pressure on her, her black-haired head will definitely pop like the cork of champagne on New Year's Eve.

"I think it will be best if you let her go, you blonde bitch!" a male's voice snarls.

I look up and see the man-rock gripping my friend by the neck so hard that if she was a breather, she'll be dead by now. I glare at him but do not release the woman who is still struggling to get free. 'I can snap her neck fast enough but he'll snap Sable's! What should I do?' I ask myself but there is no answer. The man-rock is still gripping Sable, who is using, as she calls it '_vocabulaire de juron_s' which translated from French means "dictionary of profanity", that can make even an old salesman turn red in the face from shame.

"Let go of her and I'll let your little bitchy friend." He roars at me, his voice still a little bit hoarse from Sable' hit in his manhood.

I look at the French brunette and without debating I release the dark-haired woman from my grip and push her towards the man-rock. He releases Sable and she rushes to my side, baring her fangs at him, while rubbing her sore throat. And then I feel it – a rush of warning passes through me. Before I can even warn Sable about the danger we are both pinned to the wall without any chance of escaping any time soon.

"What's happening here!" another male voice hisses angrily.

"Those two barged in here and attacked us!" the man-rock said.

"WHAT! You little~" yet again the brunette's protests are silenced by quite a hard smash at the wall.

"Watch your tongue, you whore. It's not your whorish friend you are talking to!" the man-rock growls while applying even more strength on her.

"Who do you call a whore, you piece of dead shit!" she yells, now completely pissed. 'Oh boy…' I think as I try to say something but the man-rock's voice stops me.

"To you and the fucking friend of yours! You sluts!"

'Okay, now it's personal!' I glare at that bastard who is yelling at my friend and decide it's time to take matters into my own hands.

With the slightest push I slip from my attacker's grip, who is so consumed by the quarrel that totally forgets that I am here. I duck under his elbow and grab him by the hair, smashing his head hard in the wall. Then I rush at the man-rock and grab him by the throat, lifting him a span from the floor.

"Who do you think you are calling sluts, you piece of nothing!" I say calmly, throwing him across the room while offering my other hand to the fallen Sable. She takes it and gets up and now we both are looking at the little audience we gathered and most precisely the man-rock.

"And who do you think you are!?" he hisses as he gets up.

"Does the name Sable Stanislavova Laurel ring a fucking bell, asshole?" she hisses back.

"Or maybe Sookie Vallion Starcrom does?" I ask calmly.

The silence that fills the hall is unsettling and awkward. The man-rock gapes at us and then starts laughing. I raise my eyebrow at him and tilt my head slightly.

"Is there something amusing you?" my voice is low and drips with venom and dread. No one in my whole existence ever dared to laugh at the name my maker gave me, and that asshole is even gripping his stomach from laughter!

"I suggest you stop, Stan, or Miss Starcrom and Miss Laurel here will gladly rip you apart." The calm voice that comes from the room makes all the gorillas and gothic bitches look back and then look at us. Without a word said two men grab our bags and go upstairs, one closes the door and the others go back in the room without even looking at us. Sable and I only stare at each other and follow them, embracing ourselves for the storm that's about to come.

The room we enter is huge and blindingly white. The furniture is scarce, consisting of two leather couches, one glass coffee table with a vase on it and a whole wall covered in books. Somehow with no more than twelve vampires, it still looks worryingly and claustrophobically full. All the eyes are on us, observing and judging our clothes, looks, movements…. I can feel Sable twitching nervously next to me as we stop in the middle of the room. The silence drags on for too long and after a few more pregnant seconds Sable scoffs:

"I don't want to be rude or anything, but we are wet and tired. I hope you don't mind if we take a seat?"

To my amusement despite the unhidden irritation in her voice she sounds polite and decent. 'Well that's a new! Since when can Miss Drama Queen be so… well' I'm left quite speechless as her usual cockiness and rudeness are nowhere to be seen now.

I follow her gaze to the personas sitting on the couches. At first I stop my gaze at the taller figure of a man in his twenties and almost at once I sense that he is actually nowhere near twenty… maybe one thousand suits him better… His dirty blondish hair is cut short and gives him some kind of aristocracy. His jaw is square and tightly clenched thanks to my friend's request. His eyes are the most intense blue I have ever seen and surely the coldest ones. In the position he is now I can't tell how tall he is, but my guess is at least two meters. And with all those muscles he is surely not the Sheriff here. Don't get me wrong – he is a Sheriff for sure, but the man I'm looking for was described to me as… well less a _Playgir_l magazine model.

Then I move my eyes to the other male sitting on the couch, a lot more normal in his physical structure. His hair is short as well but its colour reminds me of a chestnut. His pale face looks emotionless but not in that I-don't-give-a-fuck way. Before I have any chance to look at him any better Sable puffs and elbows me. I take a peek at her and then look back at the one who is called Stan. He is smirking at us like that bitch ones the whole world!

"Of course! Would'cha like a drink? " he mocks us.

I take a deep breath and then exhale. My nerves are so tightly stretched that if that bull of a man gives me another dirty look I'll definitely throw him in the fire and watch him burn like a freaking torch!

"I really suggest you stop that immediately Stan. After all Miss Starcrom is our new nest mate. "

And then there is that major taking of unnecessary breath like he had said I was God and I have come to punish them. I mean what? Did nobody tell them I was coming?

"Well isn't it quite rude to forget your newest addition on the airport, sir?" Sable adds innocently in that sugary –coated voice she uses when she feels the victory in an argument is hers but still wants to make you feel like you have any chance.

The brunette male raises his eyebrow at us them looks at that Stan dude. Busted!

"I hope that you have a pretty good explanation why you left my gest at the airport Stan?" the calmness in his voice scares the shit out of everybody more than if he had yelled the question in that cowboy's face.

Stan is left quite speechless and looks away in shame. Serves him right! Nobody dares to make a move or stand up for him in front of the Sheriff and that gives me quite an impression. 'So he keeps the strap firmly fastened? Not bad…' I chuckle. There still is at least one Sheriff that keeps his weaklings in check! How ironic actually. After all if it wasn't for that little stunt we pulled in San Diego, showing lack of discipline and self-control, I wouldn't be here in the first place!

"The sun is about to rise, so we shall leave this matter for more appropriate time. Until then I expect all of you to be nice towards our nest mate and her guest. No fooling around is permitted." It looks like that asshole will slip for now but that does not concern me as there are more important things in my mind like the fact that I am supposed to give my vow of obedience to my new master. And that thought itself sends cold shivers down my spine.


	3. Seeker's a Finder

The room that I'm led to is quite spacious. There is a king size bed on a little pedestal with a red bed cover on it and at least ten cushions in various sizes and colours scattered all over. 'Well that's something I didn't expect.' I look at the huge walk-in wardrobe in which I can easily put half of my old room's furniture. The walls here are in a soft shade of baby blue while those in the wardrobe are dark purple, except for the one that is turned into a mirror with thick wooden frame. I open the bathroom door and I literary gape at the sight in front of me. The room that I just entered has a big bathtub in the corner right across the door; a shower cabin with all those water massagers in the other corner; a toilet on the wall next to the shower and a marble sink with a big mirror and extra lamps on the opposite wall. The tiles that cover all four walls are blue; the frieze that cuts the walls in half is white while the floor is made like a chess board with white and black tiles. There are fluffy little rugs in front of the sink, near the toilet and the shower and one right in front of the door leading to the bedroom. As I exit the bathroom I feel like I'm dreaming because the accommodation I thought I'd receive would be as big as my new closet! But no, I'm given a huge room in which at least ten people can sleep in! Not that I complain or something, being the 'spoiled Sheriff's brat' and all but a room like this must be given to the Sheriff himself!

As I near the bed I hear a soft knock on my door. At first I do not know how to react, being all nervous and new, but still I say as calmly as possible:

"Enter."

The door opens slowly and the Sheriff himself walks in. I immediately feel like a total idiot! I should have opened the door myself! 'Collect your shit, woman! Where's your dignity!?' I scold myself. After all he's not going to hurt me.

"I shall not take any of your time, Miss Starcrom, as you need to rest. This will take only a minute or two." His calm voice is like an ointment for my nerves. I sit on the edge of the bed only to jump back up remembering that now I have to wait for his permission to do so. He only shakes his head slightly and gestures towards the bed.

"Please take a seat and do not worry, you should not wait for my permission when I'm in your chambers."

At the word 'chamber' I smile. It's so old fashioned that if I wasn't alive during the time it firstly appeared I'd have never guessed its meaning.

"Did I say something that amuses you?" there's no anger or mock in his voice, yet I stiff and the smile leaves my face momently.

"No, sir. Nothing funny." The words leave my mouth mechanically. They sound unnatural and unreal. After all I have never called somebody _'sir' _being the highest in rang in my old nest after the Sheriff. Godric only looks at me and clasps his hands behind his back as he takes a few steps towards me.

"I do not wish for you to address me as sir or master." he states as he starts observing the room like he had never been here before. "Do you like the room you are given?" his question catches me off guard and a few seconds are needed before I can answer properly.

"Yes, I do." Short and polite. That's all I can give him. Without looking at me he continues talking while walking around the room.

"Given the current circumstances and the lack of time your vow of loyalty will be given tomorrow evening. You should not worry because it will be only the three of us."

"Pardon? Three?" I interrupt.

"You, myself and the king of Texas."

After the mentioning of the king my whole body stiffens and that does not stay unnoticed by Godric.

"Is everything ok, Miss Starcrom?"

I gulp and nod. There's no need to tell him that I have already met His Majesty once and it had ended up not so good. 'Maybe he doesn't remember me!' A faint spark of hope passes through my body as I sigh, completely forgetting that I'm still not alone.

"I beg you to excuse me, Miss Starcrom. It looks like something came up but do not fail to forget that tomorrow after sunset you're supposed to give me a vow. I'm sure, if needed, my second-in-command, Isabel, will assist you in your preparation. Now I wish you rest. "

With those words he bows his head slightly, turns around and leaves my room, closing the door with a soft click. I only manage to stare at his back while he does that, completely out of this world after everything that's supposed to happen tomorrow evening.

A second knock brings me out of my trance only a couple of seconds later. This time the person on the other side doesn't even bother to wait for my response, as she opens the door swiftly and closes it with a flourish. I raise my head only to tilt it to the side and roll my eyes.

"What brings you here?" I mumble as I rub my eyes. The long journey and the sleepless nights are really coming back at me now. I need my long needed rest.

"Well, smiley face, I came to warn you." With that said she sits on one of the leather couches near the little coffee table and crosses her ankles.

I look at her tiredly and raise my blonde eyebrow. 'Is she for real?'

"I beg your pardon? Warn me about what?"

"I _accidently _overheard what the Sheriff told 'ya! The King isn't going to be pleased you know. Better go tell Godric or it may become ugly tomorrow. "

"I'm sure he has forgotten me by now, so no need to worry." I yawn and crack my neck. 'God, I'm tired.' I can clearly feel the pull of the sun now, but I somehow manage to resist it. Sable appears to be as fresh as a daisy and, unlike me, looks as astonishing as ever in that white cotton nightgown. Her wet hair is pulled up in a ponytail, away from her face, and she has no make-up on.

"If I were you, I wouldn't count on that one. That old son of a bitch is as unforgiving as a~" yet again, for God knows which time today, her speech is rudely interrupted by someone.

The door opens and a tall figure walks in. His blonde locks have fallen in front of his eyes so he runs a hand through his messy hair. He looks as exhausted as me so I guess it's really time for bed. His tall frame zips to my bed in high speed and he looks at me with his icy eyes.

"Can I help you?"

"As long as you tell me what has happened between you and the King I may as well leave you to your sleep."

"Hey! You eavesdropped on us! " it wasn't a question but Eric nods, without spearing my shrieking friend a glance.

"Eavesdrop is such a harsh word…. I prefer 'overhear'." He adds as his eyes never leave mine.

The silence that settles is quite uncomfortable as I overthink my choices. Not that I have many. I look at Erik and then at Sable. My friend is frowning and shakes her head. Erik's eyes are full of glee and a spark of challenge. I sigh and look at the blonde.

"There's nothing to tell. I once met the King and we had … a fight over an inappropriate act. "

"A fight!? You particularly stabbed that lemonhead ! That was so hilarious!" and with that the French woman bursts into laughter. 'Bitch! Is she trying to set me in or what?!' I glare at her but it looks like that only makes her laugh even more!

"Cut the bullshit! Tell me truth, or you'll have to explain everything to Godric."

"One way or another I'll have to tell him you know. And I'll make sure you're not there to hear any of it!"

"Well I can tell the story in a more …. pleasant way for your benefit if you share it with me."

I puff and roll my eyes. Suddenly the room becomes quiet. ..too quiet. For a fraction of seconds I try to figure out why it sounds so strange and out of place. Then it clicks. Sable has stopped laughing. I turn to ask her what's wrong and see no one else but Godric himself standing by the door, his hands clasped behind his back and a grim expression on his young face.

"Eric escort Miss Laurel to her room and go rest for the day. "He looks at the tall man. "Miss Starcrom, I assume we'll have to discuss this matter later." And unlike his childe, he doesn't even spare me a glance. 'Oh, well….I'm too tired to give a shit'. Before I have the chance to even say something in my defence, having the fact that Godric actually heard everything, the door closes with a click. If it had been closed with a bang and the whole room had started shaking it wouldn't have managed to send that kind of shivers down my spine – cold as ice and at the same time burning my skin like the hottest flame.

I wake up; my stomach clenched in a ball of wracking nerves, at least an hour before sunset. My head ponds hard and my eyes burn, my body feels like a huge pile of jelly and the thought itself that I have to stand up makes me fell even more tired. I decide to stay in bed for a few more minutes, my 'morning' sickness stronger than it had ever been. The truth is ever since I was a little kid I woke up with this feeling of sickness and lassitude. My parents were always worried about me and had the habit to send the lady's mate to my chambers to check on me. That was really irritating me back then so I gave my best to get out of bed before she came and saw me still lounging. Some days were worse than others though. There were a few times that I could barely speak and my parents called the king's doctor. It was all in vain as the poor man had no clue what was wrong with me.

As I grew up and became a woman other strange stuff happened like sleepwalking, having visions, being stronger than most men in the kingdom and other crazy shit. The strangest thing that appeared to happen, which is still a mystery to me, is the fact that one moment I was in my room and in the next I was in the woods. It's not like I lost conscious or something I just teleported. Of course for back then, had I told somebody, I'd have been called a witch and most probably burned at the stake for witchcraft.

I shake the depressing thoughts from my human years and try to get up. I only manage to rest on my elbows before the door opens. At first I think it is Godric but a bush of dark brown curls tells me that it's Sable. She peaks behind the door and I barely manage to smile at her before I fall back down on my pillow. 'Great. Just great! Now her shit will break and she'll start screaming! And I don't need her high-pitched voice right now….' I whine to myself as I stare at the white ceiling. My eyelids become heavy and I feel the world becoming distant and my body – numb. My surrounding loses its colours and fades away, sounds and smells long gone.

_I'm sitting on a cliff and the cool breeze swirls my long white dress, as I look at the distant mountains, whose foothills are hidden in thick fog while the tops look like little white caps. I'm swaying my legs which are hanging over the edge. My long blonde locks are free from their usual cage at the back of my head and are blown by the wind. A soft scent of lavender and hyacinth is enveloping the whole place, carried by the warm south wind. I can hear birds chipping in the distance, the fluttering of their wings and the crunch of the leaves as animals and spirits pass nearby. I know what this place is as I have visited it millions of times during my undead life. The sun shines at me and I lift my head to feel its rays on my skin. The warmness spreads down my body and awakes all my senses. Now I see and feel everything. And when a figure takes a sudden stop a few meters away from me I know who it is. I do not turn, as she is walking my way now, her long dress shuffling as she moves. Again she stops a few steps away from me and I can feel her smile._

"_I see you still enjoy the warmness of the Sun." her velvet voice is just like I remember it._

_I don't feel like her statement needs to be answered so I tilt my head in another angle so that the sun shines directly in my face._

"_How are the things back there?"_

"_Fine."_

"_Have you found a partner in life yet?" that question made me frown. 'Why do they always want to know if I had found my mate? Is it that important for them?' _

"_No."_

"_Have you at least looked or are you still pushing men away?"_

"_I prefer to not be interrupted by man's stupidity and your unforgiving sense of gassiness, nana. " _

_The old woman sits next to me and I finally look at her. Her hair is pure silver which reminds me of my favourite lock, long lost in a storm. 'Not that I can wear it any way…'_

_My grandmother is the only spirit that comes to me when I switch the dimensions. Her love for me keeps her here, not letting her pass on. I know it's greedy of me but I don't want her to leave. Even when I was still a breather she loved me more than anything in the world and despised her own flesh and blood for hurting and rejecting me. I was a sick child, as you already know, and only my most beloved nana stood by my side, never giving up on me. She may have been my mother's mother, but she loved me more. And I'm not making that up! On more than one occasion she had said that to me. _

_Even when I died and came back as a vampire I knew she'd understand and help me. And I was right. At first she was terrified and refused to believe, but when I showed her my new true nature she… she believed in me and hugged me so tight that I may have as well died again. Her big heart and goodness were the only things that made me _**beg **_Ian to spare her in his wrath. He destroyed the whole village alongside with the castle. A few decades later I found out what his true reason behind that action was and I had no right to judge him. His cruelty turned out to be those people's ticket out of that hell hole. _

_Back to my lovely granny – I managed to save her and take her away but that was all. Ian was crystal clear – I had no doings near her. So I left, with my not beating heart as heavy as a rock in my chest. Yet every once in a while I'd go down her cottage and just check if she was fine. One day I went only to see that she had left this world with a smile on her face and a letter for me. I never found the courage to open and read it. It still stays hidden in an old book I always carry with me. Later on I found out that one of my 'gifts' could be used more… rationally if you can put it like that. I found a way to teleport myself in another dimensions and see my grandma!_

_I look at nana and find her staring at me lovingly. I smile at her and hug her, blonde locks mixing with grey ones. I take in her smell and momently relax. She smells of roses and soap like she always had. Quite the combination actually but it makes my nerves relax. _

"_You do know that everything is going to be alright, right, my dearest Sookie?" I only nod. „Don't be afraid to let others know your true self. That boy may as well be the one!"_

_I laugh inwardly. This woman is going to kill me. _

"_You say that about every new guy I meet. Not to mention that he is about to become my Sheriff. I'm supposed to serve him, not love him."_

"_One thing leads to another, my child. You'll see." She pats my head while smoothing my hair._

_The sudden pull I feel tells me that my time's up. Yet I hug her even tighter, the thought of leaving her again squeezing my heart. She only smoothens my hair and gently pushes me away. I look at her with teary eyes and sob:_

"_I love you, granny."_

_She smiles back at me and cups my cheeks, her eyes full of faithful love._

"_I love you too, princess. Just remember to trust your heart!" and with that said she and the whole scenery fades away like a smoke blown off by a sudden waft of wind. Her smile is the last thing I see before a bucket of icy water is thrown in my face…._

I wake up with a sudden intake of breath. My vision is clouded by dark spots for a couple of seconds before it clears out and the sight of my new room relaxes and scares me at the same time. I was right – Sable had thrown a bucket of cold water in my face in order to bring me out of my coma. She's a real sweetie, right? Bringing people back in this world by throwing cold water in their face can be quite efficient.

I hide my eyes with my hand, as the light from the lamp still makes my sensitive orbits ooze behind the retina. Little red tears stream down my cheeks and I instantly wipe them off. My head is still spinning but I manage to sit up and look around. The room is light and I can smell the freshness of the air. My gaze stops at the window and I see that it's open; the rays of the setting sun enter my room and make the shadows move. Then it hits me – I'm not supposed to be awake.

I turn my eyes towards Sable who is sitting in the farthest corner of the room, hiding within the shadows , my mind already having made up a story about why I haven't turned into a pile of ash by now, when I see the sad smile on my friend's lips.

"You really are a daughter of Ian's." it is a statement, not a question or a reproach.

"You knew?" she only smirks at me and gives me that bitchy look of hers while rising up and smoothing an invisible fold on her fluffy robe.

"Of course! After all I was sent to make sure you reach the nest in one piece. "

That newly gained information throws me off board. '_She _is supposed to be my guardian? For real?' my mind can't really process this information correctly, so I sit there in the middle on the sunny room, blinking like a complete idiot.

A couple of hours later I rise up and my head spins for a second or two before it clears out. I look around and find my room empty. 'What did cha' expect? ' I muse and stand up. I walk to the bathroom while taking my clothes off. I enter the fully equipped room and turn my back to the whole length mirror and examine my body. Apart from a few scratches on my lower back, gained while my body could still be marked by something for more than two days, my skin is spotless and perfect. My long blonde locks reach my lower back where they curl inwards and give the false sense of being a little bit shorter; I push them over my shoulder. The only thing that stands out is the black-ink tattoo, starting from my lower back up my spine and round my left shoulder blade. And contrary to many people's guesswork it is not a single tattoo but rather seven different ones interconnected to each other by a series of squiggles. I smile as I move my muscles and see the beautiful piece of art moving on my back, giving the false illusion as if it's not actually drawn there. I proceed on walking to the bathtub; when I reach it I fix the water and glance at the bottles filled with different kinds of bathtub salts. 'Lavender and morello. Sea. Roses. Mango. Mint…. Wow. There are at least 10 more bottles…' my hand travels over the expensive products but I just can't pick, so I randomly snatch one and look at its label. With beautifully decorated red letters the words _**Breath of the Orient **_are written on one of the big rectangular-shaped bottle, filled with little pink and white minerals.

"That'll do." I sprinkle some in the now half-filled tub.

I return it back to the shelf from which I got if and then close the bathroom door. Only a few seconds later the mirrors are blurry and the air is thick; the warm room is now a huge sauna. I'm comfortably situated in the tub, the hot water and the extraordinary, yet rich in flavours scent, fills the air and relaxes my muscles that after the long night and even longer day have been too tense for my liking. Now, when I feel the side effects of the bad sleep and the lack of rest fading away, my mind clears out and I start thinking about the things that happened and what I should tell Godric. Unknowingly I start twiddling a strand of blonde lock in my hand, barely glancing at the endings and seeing that they need to be cut. 'It sucks being only half way down your grave.' With a sigh I loosen my head back and look at the ceiling. It is pitch black.

I tie my hair up in a high ponytail but a few strands escape and fall over my face. I don't bother to move them away as I walk out of the room and in the corridor. There's no sign of Sable or Godric, not even the tedious Eric, so I do the most natural thing – I go down the stairs and in the main room. It is still empty so I look around more carefully. Yet again my attention is captured by the wall-library and I near it. There are at least one thousand books situated on the long wooden shelves.

"May I help you?"

The unexpected voice makes me jump slightly in my place. 'Golly! The 'hell did he game from!?' I turn around and see Godric leaning on the wall watching me closely. To my dismay and utter disappointment I see the unhidden lack of trust and the sense of betrayal swirled in his bluish-greyish orbs. I take deep breath and then exhale.

"I came to talk to you." The words leave my mouth before I can even think them over.

"What about?"

"The King."

When the silence settles between us I feel an unpleasant shrug in my belly as his watchful eyes stare at me so judgingly that I feel like a traitor about to be convinced guilty. Suddenly the Sheriff stands up and goes somewhere, without even sparing me a glance, let alone say a word. Taking it as a cue to move my ass I follow close behind. We walk for a few seconds as we pass by a few doors, behind one of which is the kitchen, and open the last oak door in the end of the corridor. I close it behind me as I take in my surrounding. The room is spacious with creamy walls and slightly oblique ceiling. On my left, again, the whole wall is covered in shelves with tightly squeezed into each other books in different sizes, shapes and colours. And believe me when I say that there are books from the floor all the way up to the ceiling! 'Wow! He must really like reading. Hell, he must be obsessed with books! It may be that kind of fetish thing Sable usually talks about! ' Apart from that wall all the others are empty – neither photographs nor paintings cover them. The giant chandelier that hangs down from the white ceiling illuminates the room and its little shining crystal throw creepy shadows across the walls. Then I see it. A Resolute desk. _The_ Resolute desk if I'm to be precise. A complete replica of the one situated in the Oval Office in the White House down in Washington DS, is firmly adjusted in the left corner of the room. As I near it I see that even the smallest details are the same. Divided into three parts, all fitted perfectly together, the desk is a masterpiece itself. I walk around it, push aside the president chair made of black leather, and look for one of the most famous, yet less likely to be looked for, inscription. And there it is – the plate with the carved words, the same as the one in the Oval Office.

" H.M.S. RESOLUTE forming part of the expedition sent in search of SIR JOHN FRANKLIN IN 1852, was abandoned in latitude 74 degrees 41 minutes N longitude 101 degrees 22 minutes W on 15th May 1854. She was discovered and extricated in September 1855 in latitude 67 degrees N by Captain Buddington of the United States Whaler "GEORGE HENRY."

The ship was purchased, fitted out and sent to England as a gift to HER MAJESTY QUEEN VICTORIA by the PRESIDENT AND PEOPLE of the UNITED STATES as a token of goodwill & friendship. This table was made from her timbers when she was broken up, and is presented by the QUEEN OF GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND to the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES as a memorial of the courtesy and loving kindness which dictated the offer of the gift of the "RESOLUTE." " I read the carved words out loud and realise that the piece of furniture standing right in front of me can easily be the so-famous desk itself!

I marvel at the masterpiece and gently run my fingers over the texture. I begin to doubt if even the President himself can distinguish the real desk, as the one standing in front of me is the best replica I have ever seen, and believe me I have seen many. I raise my head and look at Godric who is sitting in one of the armchairs near the little glass coffee table, watching my every move. There is a cup made of china and a big round teapot, decorated with floral motives and a wine glass full of red substance which without a doubt is blood. Only after I see the little clouds of steam coming from the cup I realise that there is a nice smell of herbs in the air. I near the coffee table with slow equal steps and sit in the free armchair.

"Green tea?" I ask as I take the cup and bring it near my nose. It smells fantastic.

"Yes. No sugar, as I was told?" I only nod and take a little sip. The rich in flavours liquid hits my senses immediately and I can feel its warmness spreading through my body. I mentally moan. Who'd have thought that such a common drink among humans can bring an arrow of pleasure to even the deadest and deadliest of creatures? It's a pity only few have the honour of tasting it. I take another sip and put the little fragile cup back on the table. I straighten my back and shoulders and look directly at the male in front of me.

"So what exactly do you want know?"


	4. Revelations

"For now – what is your relationship with the King?"

For a couple of seconds I stay silent and play with my fingers. I know I have to tell him the truth so that I can regain his trust, but such question cannot be answered correctly. One way or another, the chance of him believing me is minimal.

"Well… it's a lil'bit hard to tell."

"Try."

I lift my head and look him right in the eyes. He looks calmly at me; his only movement is the slow swaying of the glass full of blood in his right hand. For a few seconds I follow the invisible circles it makes in the air and think about all the ways this can go totally wrong for me.

"It was fifty years ago in Moscow. My maker and His Majesty had some kind of a meeting there and I was asked to wait outside while it took place. I had no doubt that everything would go according to the plan and it really did. Up to the point when I felt that strange pain in me, like I had swallowed some kind of acid and it was now burning me from inside. I entered the room immediately and saw Luke looking down at the fallen Ian. I managed to see some kind of a strange looking stake sticking out of his back." my voice betrays me as the painful memories wash over me and the anger starts boiling deep in me, but I manage to push them all aside. "… that bastard had stabbed my maker. So I did what I thought should be done in such situation having the fact that every second was precious and my maker's life was on the line... "

"And what is that?"

"Speed at him and snap his neck. Of course the element of surprise had a part there." I say calmly as I take a sip of my tea and the warmness relaxes me immediately.

Godric chokes with a sip of blood and wipes his mouth with a napkin while looking at me like I have grown a second head or something.

"I beg your pardon? You snapped Luke's neck? He's at least three times your age!"

The ancient vampire's amazement and lack of trust don't actually bother me, as I'm quite used to it. After all I'd have never believed it myself if someone had told me he had almost killed somebody as old as that sonofabitch! But it really did happen. Again I feel the pull of the memories and myself zooming out so I try to shake it off and focus my gaze at Godric.

"You do know that…" I begin but he finishes.

"You are different? I do know, as Ian himself informed me. "

That little bit of information catches my attention. 'Since when did Ian become such a chatter-box?' I raise my eyebrow at the male but quickly regain my poker face. I'm sure my father had a really good reason to tell him what I'm.

"So here's your story." With that I stand up, leaving my tea cup, and head towards the door but a sudden pressure on my elbow stops me.

"Is there something bothering you?" I turn my head a little bit so that I can see his face.

"Actually I want to know something more. What happened when Luke gained his consciousness?"

"I'm not aware. Ian and I were far away by the time he came back."

Godric just smirks as he lets my hand go and gestures towards the door. I blink a few times. 'Was that it?'

"You believe me?"

"Why should I not?" he replies as he walks down his desk, grabbing his glass on the way. "I assume you are not the type to lie to my face, despite the lack of information in the beginning."

I keep silent. There's no point in adding fuel to the fire. So I just nod and leave. I dash up the stairs and in my room. Sable's presence doesn't bother me as I walk to the closet. I start looking through the piles of clothes. A special white dress is supposed to be worn by the rookies while being taken in by their new Sheriff but I can't seem to find it!

"Are you really going to dress as a virgin?" the mocking laugh of the brunette makes me want to roll my eyes. 'So immature!'

Half an hour later I'm looking in the mirror, fixing my hair while Sable ties the laces of my dress. I had found the white garment, after a 15-minute search, at the very back of the dresser folded in a white sweater. I had ironed it and went to fix my make-up; I have put on some mascara and colourless lipstick. My long hair is braided into a wheatear and a white lily is entangled behind my left ear. The dress reaches my ankles, tailor-made around my upper body and flared all the way down my ankles. A pair of white sandals with straps, firmly tied, is covering my feet. The only jewelry I wear is a golden medallion.

I take another unneeded breath and turn towards my friend. She is dressed in her usual clothes – a pair of dark jeans, a T-shirt and a leather jacket. Compared to her I look like the purest thing, which is ironic, as I used to be a lot meaner and eviler than her.

"Chill. It's going to be fine." With some kind of reassuring smile she gets up from my bed and walks to the door, opening it for me.

I only look at the wall, not moving even an inch. 'I ain't gonna make it!'

"I can't… he remembers me, I'm sure of it!" I panic and start untying my dress.

Sable grabs my hands before I manage to untie anything and gives me her usual bitchy look, telling me to not be so melodramatic and to collect my balls. I try to give her my I-won't-do-your-shit look, but I miserably fail as she literally pushes me out of the room and down the stairs. My dress is dragging along the corridor; the only noise is the chatting of my heels as the whole nest is still quiet due to the early hours. Sable follows close behind, whistling some new song she heard on the radio. I stop when we reach the top of the stairs and just hark about any kind of noise. This time I manage to hear the muffled voices of the two men talking downstairs. 'Oh, golly! That bastard is already here!' I slowly start going down the glass stairs while supporting myself on the rail. When I reach the final steps I feel like I'm about to faint so I grip the rail even tighter if that's even possible. It is not that I'm scared or something but I still don't know what to do when the King recognize me and accuses me of treason or attempt to kill him, which he might do.

"You're not a scary-cat, are ya'?"

"No. I feel uneasy. What if he~" she cuts me off before I can say something.

"No 'if's! You know I hate when you start wringing your fingers like a freaking … girl! Ah!"

"You do know I'm a girl?" I reply sarcastically as I walk to the mahogany door in the end of the corridor which leads to the dungeons. "Wish me luck."

"?" she freezes on the spot and looks at me shocked. For a few seconds she just stands there, gaping at me without even blinking, like a fish.

With a sigh she shakes her head, massages her temples and murmurs something under her nose.

"Good luck, Sook."

I smile faintly at her and open the door. The stairs here are made of stone and it's a lot colder and humid. Without turning around, as I may run back to my room, I take step after step until I reach the bottom. The fluorescent lights irritates my eyes but I try not to take it into consideration as I walk down to a second wooden door. By the look of it I can say it's really old, as it is covered in dark spots thanks the humid and a few holes left by termites. I don't knock as I push it open and step in.

The room is spacious but only the middle of it is illuminated by eight large pillars, on top of which burn strong flames, reaching the stone-made ceiling. The marble columns are arranged in a perfect circle, in the middle of which Godric and Luke stand, facing me. I take slow even steps towards them not making an eye-contact. When I finally reach the border of the circle I see how different both men actually look. Godric wears a white T-shirt showing his biceps and tattoos; on his left one there is a traditional symbol of water while on the right one there are some strange letters whose meaning stays a secret to me. His shirt also reveals a part of his other necklace-tattoo, old symbols for protection in the Anglo-Saxon culture. When you take a good look at him you notice how good he looks. Not perfect or irresistible, but really good and charming. His messy auburn locks, blue-grayish orbs, ivory skin on which the dark ink stands out so perfectly… 'Hello? Snap out of it!'

Compared to him, Luke looks like one of the models on _Men's Health_'s cover. He is huge in the shoulders, tall as a tree, dressed in an expensive suit, probably made of Egyptian cotton and has that dashing, yet annoying, smirk that all the ladies faint over. I despise him. His eyes are the darkest shade of green, almost black; his skin is like the purest porcelain with only a single scar over his left eyebrow, the only visual sign that he was once mortal. His long black locks are tied in a low tail at the back his neck and, of course, he has that ridiculous cowboy hat on. Who wears such a hat in the 21st century anyway?

"Hm. What do we have here? A devil dressed as an angel?" the velvet voice of that beau makes me wanna hit him.

"As I informed you, Your Majesty, Miss Starcrom came to my nest to pledges faithfulness in me and the state of Texas."

As that cunning fox drinks from his crystal glass full of ruby red blood I try not to think how much I hate him or how sexy Godric looks in those dark jeans but rather than I think of my brother. If I'm not to be taken in I'll be obliged to return to my former nest which will definitely lead to a lot of problems to all the creatures I care for. This is definitely not an option! So I must keep it cool and not smash that bastard's face in the wall.

"Are you sure you know who you are inviting in your nest, Sheriff? She can stab you in the back someday… literally." He smirks at me as his eyes turn black for a fraction of the second. 'Is he implying something? Am I supposed to feel guilty? ' I snort.

"I am sure she can be trusted." the brunette calmly replies, taking a quick glimpse in my direction, before he turns his attention back to His Majesty.

"Then let's get over with it." With that he throws the glass away but no shattering is heard.

I near the center on the circle and stop just a few steps away from a stone pedestal with a golden cup on it.

"Kneel." says Luke as he points at the semi-circle drawn around the pedestal.

I kneel as I look straight ahead and keep my emotionless mask on. Luke smirks as I'm on his crouch's level. 'Pervert asshole!'

"This will definitely be amusing!" He whispers as his eyes gleam with mischievousness.

"Now she's yours to take care of. I won't mind if you let her die, though." Says Luke to Godric as he leaves the stone made room without even spearing me a glance. I try not to flinch after his addition as I feel the sudden rush of adrenalin in my veins. When that ass of a King finally leaves the room and then the house I stand up and exhale. I didn't really notice when I had held up my breath but I feel relieved that he's gone and I'm free to breathe.

"I hate him in my guts!" I hiss angrily mostly to myself as I dust off my knees.

Godric only raises his eyebrow at me and basically disappears only to reappear in front of me. I flinch and take a step back.

"What?"

"He's your King now and you shall not talk badly about him in my presence or in anybody's, am I clear?" his cold and piercing voice sends shivers down my spine and I feel a lump forming in my throat.

"Yes…Sheriff." I almost choke on the words.

I hold his gaze despite the fact that it's not allowed to make an eye contact without having permission. Like I give a fuck!

"Am I free to go?"

"You are."

With that I'm off without even turning around. I don't stop when I hear Sable's voice calling me from the kitchen as I'm not in the mood of talking to her.

Half an hour later I'm back in my jeans, my hair tied in a ponytail and doing my nails after a long bath with extra salts in it. The whole thing with the giving of the vow and Godric's bitchiness didn't really cope with me and had destroyed my mood. The knock on the door makes me lift my head only to return to my previous occupation as Sable enters slowly, peeping in the room as if I'd shoot her or something. Well… I shot her once but it was because I was so mad and frustrated and she was such a bitch for not leaving me alone I just pulled the trigger more out of inertia rather than willingly. Yet she was mad at me for over a year…. until she needed a favour that is.

"What are you doing?"

"Hunting elephants. What does it look like to you?"

"Hey! No need to be a bitch!"

I sigh as I close the nail polish and put it on the nightstand. I start waving my hands as I nod towards the bed where the brunette sits and looks at me. Her face and posture are radiating discomfort and worry.

"So?"

"You know that Godric is _the_ Sheriff now, right?"

"I'm not sure I understand you." And I really don't. I get the fact that he's the boss now but so what?

"I saw the way you look at him. The way you tense when he looks at you. And let's not mention how you sniff the air when he passes by!"

I blink like a complete idiot. 'The fuck?!' I'm left speechless after the French girl's words. Do I really do all those stuff?

"You're kidding! That's not true!" when I get nervous my voice becomes so piercingly squeaky that once a glass full of water shattered! Now it may be just as squeaky.

"Do you…?"

"Do I what? Love him? Hell no!"

"I hope so!" she stops for a second, giving the impression of thinking. "You know you don't fool me, right? I know there's something between you two!"

"We barely know each other! And let's not mention he acts like he owns everything! "

The silence fills the room once again and I look away from Sable. It's quite embarrassing when others are able to read you better than you can. I have been trained my whole life to hide my emotions and feelings in order to stay alive so most of the time I don't notice them myself. And when Sable notices them eventually, as she always does, she points them out in my face, making me feel like a complete idiot! I frown and stand up, nearing the French window. With a slight push I open it and go out to have some fresh air and clear my thoughts. What a drag!

As soon as I relax I regret my harsh tone and the lack of understanding towards the brunette. After all having any kind of relationship with a Sheriff, apart from complete obedience, is contraindicating. It's like for a maid to have some sort of feelings towards the king – unacceptable! In my case I may not get my head chopped off but the humiliation of being rejected and later tortured by the glares accompanied with the mocking and ambiguous smirks and laughs of the nest mates never was and never will be a pretty picture.

I look at the night's welkin and start thinking about what Sable said – that I like Godric. It will be a complete lie if I say that I don't feel attracted towards him but _love_? Well yeah, with eyes like his I can easily let myself fall for him IF he was not the Sheriff and I had not given a vow to stay away from men. Ah, the _vow_…

From the beginning of time the giving of vows is a sacred thing. You can't quit or change your mind. There's just no escaping. And when you become a vampire it becomes really hard to get rid of a vow you gave decades ago.

There are two types of vows – propria and communis. They have pretty similar rules but are quite different in implementation. When you give a propria vow you give it mostly to yourself. Like giving a promise that you will stop eating sweets after seven o'clock. Unlike those promises you actually break at some point, the propria is not so easy to step over. It needs some blood, a witch, some herbs and a three hour long ritual if you have to break it so to not feel obliged. If you break it unwittingly then there's no backlash as we say. But as whole, compared to the other type, they are easily breakable if you have the will and a clear-minded head.

The communis, on the other hand, is not taken so lightly. To save one's neck, at least, it takes a great deal of time and energy, both spiritual and personal. Humans make something similar when they sign a contract with a company or another person in their world. Both are tied by a piece of paper but in our case the giver has to ask the receiver to release him if he doesn't wish to stay subordinated by the vow he gave. Most of the time the givers give the stupidest of vows – to not kill somebody, to stay a virgin till the end, not to eat human flesh, etc. Less are those who give their word to do or not, something containing more sense and less expediency – to save someone's life no matter what, to bring back someone from the death/ I saw that one once – it ended up pretty badly/ and so on. The most specific and distinguishing feature of this vow, as you may have all figured it all, is that you _give_ the vow to somebody – a receiver, who must not have anything in common with your vow.

Most of the time the giver is a mortal human while the receiver is always something else – a vampire, or a demon most frequently, which makes the release a lot more difficult as all the creatures of the night are… greedy and don't like setting free their little flies that got caught up in the net. Through the years people who had given a meaningless vow in their young years, tried to get rid of it by cutting their life short. They, unfortunately, hadn't read their contact. Almost nobody does. They only drop some blood on the parchment and off they go. No one tries to see the expiring date…. Or the lack of one. Because with a communis even death can't do you apart; if you break the vow you receive a severe punishment after the receiver brings you back. And believe me it is never pretty!

When I was still a baby vampire I gave a propria vow to myself, swearing to not fall in love with a male from our kind, as I had reached the conclusion that my kind is full mostly with savages, the hard way. So I swore to never, ever, let my undead heart feel a single thing towards the opposite sex. Until today…

I stare at the empty space and try to figure out the moment I started to feel something towards the brunet male. 'I felt a tingle when he acted so cool and bossy when I arrived. The way he told others to back off and that I'm the new addition. I was impressed that he actually believed me about the thing with Luke but his attitude in the dungeons was… not on my liking, I guess. God!' A low voice catches my attention and I turn my head towards the source. I look at the garden and with my peripheral vision I manage to take a glimpse at a sudden movement and a silhouette disappearing between the trees. It quickly hides in the conservatory and the only thing I manage to see is the posture of a male holding something to his head. 'A phone?' I guess it may be one of the humans in the nest, due to the lack of discretion and grace in his movements. But what's somebody's human doing out here?

"It may be something important." I tell myself as I start concentrating on the voice in the observatory. At first it's a whisper, barely distinguishable but soon it clears out. It looks like the male and the person on the other line prefer to speak French. 'Good think I have learned it!'

"…n'aie pas peur, ma chérie! " /Don't worry, my dear! / "Tout va bien." / Everything's alright. /

I raise one of my eyebrows. '_His_ dear? Shouldn't his 'dear' be in the house with the others?' I try to listen harder so to hear the response.

"_Elle est une obstacle! Débarrasser de la fille ! __Immédiatement ! _" /She is an obstacle! Get rid of the girl! Immediately! /

There is a brief pause before the man gathers the courage to speak again. This time his voice is quieter and not so confident.

"Mais…mais…. Elle n'est pas l'ennemi! Elle est inexpérimenté….. elle ne peut pas nous arrêtera …" /But… but… She's not an enemy! She's inexperienced….She can't spot us… /

There are some incomprehensible words that I don't manage to hear as a sudden wave of loud music from the living room makes me jump. 'The fuck was that?' I muse as I turn around to see if Sable would come rushing in the room but the silence that follows makes me tense. Even without my friend's sudden and hysteric entry I feel that something bad happened. And now, when I think about it the loud noise I thought was music sounded like….

"Diversion!" I whisper to myself as I suddenly realize that the thing that startled me was not the sudden loud music but the gunshots that it tried to hide!

I dash in the room and look for the brunette but she's nowhere to be seen and the door is left ajar. When I exit my room quietly the tang of refined silver, powder and blood hits my senses hard and makes me want to puke. The reek of burned decomposed flesh wakes an unexpected wave of more tension and discomfort deep in me. As I tiptoe to the stairs and peek downstairs nothing looks wrong except the fact that there's nobody in the corridor. The entrance door looks like it was open with more force than it needs though. I don't dare to sniff the air as the strong and unpleasant smell will make my head spin for sure. Again, as quietly as possible, I reach the bottom of the stairs, where I'm hidden by the wall, and peek in the living room. This time I barely manage to contain my scream. The usually white walls are now covered in dark red blood stains. The furniture is all over the place and I see a few humans lying on the floor, their heads tilted in an unnatural angle. I manage to glance at a male covered in dark clothes as he passes by. He carries a strange gun in his hand. But the belt around his waist catches my whole attention unlike the gun. There, arranged like little soldiers, are at least one hundred silver bullets. _Pure_ silver bullets, to be exact. With the size of a freaking coin! I look away, trying to see either Sable or Godric, begging that the blood on the walls is not theirs. But with my current position it's impossible to see deeper into the room.' I need to pass through the corridor and then hide behind one of the pillars in the living room and do it fast if I wish to stay whole'. For a second I just stop and listen. I can hear, with strange difficulty, like a barrier is blocking the sound, up to six different voices – one female and five male. The female voice sounds too familiar to me but I just can't seem to remember from where so I brush it off for later. 'Now's not the time to think about such things! Focus! I was the fastest in my former nest. I'll make it.' With that I take a go and dash in the room and behind the pillar for less than two seconds. I have stopped my usual breathing and I'm thankful for that fact because I would have been puffing now. Which is not a good option.

I stay frozen for a few seconds and try to hear what they are talking about. It's strange that I can't hear them though. I know they are talking but I can't make out a single word. It's all so mute and blurred. Then, like a truck, it hits me. 'The loud music! It must have been some kind of a low frequency wave that intended to damage our hearing. Shit!' I shake my head slightly and kneel at the base of the pillar. With my hearing out of the game I can't tell where the attackers are or where are they looking at so I must trust my 'sixth sense'. For a few seconds I hesitate until I feel the ball in my stomach suddenly disappear. 'Now!' I peak from behind the pillar and, true to my senses, all intruders are with their backs at me. Actually they are all looking in the same direction. From between their legs I manage to see Sable's new jeans all covered in blood, Godric's khaki trousers ripped here and there and another pair of dark jeans which belong to a quite huge male. As I dare to look up I see the blonde man looking like he's about to kill somebody, his intense blue orbs throwing daggers at the ginger haired female in front of him.

I hide again before somebody sees me and try not to smack my forehead in the wall. 'The freaking Queen, moron! THE QUEEN!' only when I managed to see her hair I remembered from where the voice I heard sounds so familiar. Not to mention that from all the possible people in this state it just couldn't be somebody who I could get rid of. No… it must be the Queen Sophie-Anne! I roll my eyes as I look around me and try to find somebody that's still alive. To my dismay I see Stan but he looks out of the game for now. Isabel is a few feet away but there's no way I can help her stand up and the library that crushes her legs won't lift itself magically! I want to yell out in frustration as it looks like I'll be on my own for now. 'I need a plan. Fast!' but yet again I'm left empty-handed. No plan. No escape. Desperately I look around again and to my surprise I see Stan's large left hand, stretched forward, twitching. I duck lower and pull my blonde hair out of the way as I try to gain his attention with the slight waving of my hand. Anything more noticeable will give out a noise that'll give me away. I'm lucky as he notices me. As soon as he does I tell him not to move as I stop the twitching of my hand. He seems to understand and freezes. 'Ok. One's up. Wouldn't have been my first choice but he's better than nothing.'

He raises an eyebrow in my direction, obviously asking what has happened. I only shrug and point towards my ears then shake my head, telling him that we can't use our hearing and that I haven't heard a thing. He only rolls his eyes, irritated, and tries, as seamlessly as possible, to look around. He has a better view than me and when he turns his head towards me he starts blinking. For a few seconds I can't figure out what is he doing but then it clicks. He shows me all the available nest mates. When he reaches six he stops. I nod. 'So we are even? Good.' With only my lips' movement I tell him that at three we will attack and that I'll take the Queen. He looks at me as if I'm insane but seeing that I won't change my mind and that our time is limited, he blinks. He repeats the previous task of turning his head and tells the others. It seems like a whole hour has passed since he again looks my way and nods. I peek from behind the column again and look at the back of the Queen. Without letting her out of sight I raise my other hand and start lifting my finger. As the second one is lifted I turn at Stan and see that the fingers on his free hand have stopped at two as well. I nod slightly and turn back the Queen. When the third finger is lifted I particularly jump at her. I don't know if she's older than me, and I don't want to find out now, so the only thing that can save me is the element of surprise and a drastic measure.

I grab her head and twist it harsh before she could even react. Her body falls to the ground and I look at the others. A few shots are heard so I jump to the ground. When I lift my head a second later I start looking for the shooter and notice his tall figure a few meters away from me. He aims at me but suddenly falls to the ground, lifeless. Stan's huge figure towers over me until he lends me his hand and I stand up. Quickly I scan the room and with some relief I see that all the black-clothed strangers are on the ground. Only then I dare to go near the trio which is tied with a silver chain. Stan's already there but he can't seem to find with what to release them. I take two more steps and without thinking it over I take off my T-shirt, rip it to pieces and wrap them around my hands. In that way I manage to get rid of the chains and, as gently as possible, peel them off. When I make sure all three are ok I take a few steps back, now only with my bustier on covering my breasts, and start tying up the intruders with the chains. I manage to go around them twice but I feel like that's going to do. When I'm sure they're tightly chained and that the silver touches some flesh I back away and look and Sable. She's trembling and looks like it's about to kill somebody as Isabel tries to comfort her. Godric and the tall blonde start helping Stan find the ones who are still alive. I decide that I should help as well and start walking around the room. There's so much blood that I can hardly believe that there's somebody who survived.

An hour later we have helped as many as possible regain their consciousness and strength. I wanted to talk to Godric about the attack but after he and the blonde dragged the still unconscious Queen and her minions in the office half an hour ago, I haven't had the chance to see him, let alone speak.

"Go pack your stuff!" A rude voice tells me.

I turn around to see Stan towering over me and looking…. Well tired and sad. Sooo not what I expected to see! His foul mood makes me nervous yet I try to be implicated, as he knew all of the dead vampires and some may have been his friends. So without arguing I nod and leave the living room… or what's left of it. Not that I want to stay there even a second longer. It brings back bad memories. As I finally reach my room and push the door open I find that I have a visitor.

"What's wrong, Sheriff?"

He lifts his head and looks at me as if I'm not supposed to be here. This may be true as I had mistaken my room more than once these days.

"Have I mistaken the room again?"

"No."

Silence. He looks at me for a few more seconds and I try not to shiver as his eyes travel down my body. With my clothing, or the lack of one, I feel naked under his stare. The only thing that seems right to do now is to cross my hands over my chest. And I do it. That act of mine seems to amuse him as he smirks and looks away. I decide to return to my first task – packing. Still the silence makes me feel uneasy so I ask the first thing that comes to my mind.

"Where are we going?"

It looks like I bring him back from his thoughts for a second time in less than a minute. Yet again he just looks at me with a blank expression. But this time his eyes catch mine. And we stand there, looking at each other. Sapphire blue orbs clashing with honey ones. And in that very moment I look right in his soul. The thing I see makes me jump back and hit the wall but I can't look away, his eyes mesmerize me, taunt me, look deep in me. And I see his soul just like he sees mine. It's like the whole room fades away, the only thing that stays visible is the two of us, our souls. I have seen mine many times, all sparkly and alive, fully connected and active, colourful like the rainbow. But his is so different. The two millennia he spend walking on Earth has left deep gashes over his soul. It looks like it's covered in dust, its shimmer dull and barely visible. But the thing that worries me the most is the fact that it's pitch black. No colours. No movement. No life. Not to mention that parts of it are missing. I try not to cry at the sudden revelation he has offered me, or for his broken soul as he himself made it look like this but... I feel my heart breaking at the sight of his sadness, sorrow and emptiness. Because here, in this different dimension I don't only see the other person's soul but I also feel all of its burdens. And Godric's soul bears so much it hurts. No words are needed and there's no time for them as the blackness disappears and the two of us are alone in my room again. This time I don't keep a distance but rush to his side, stopping only a breath's away from him.

He doesn't move away, nor tells me to step aside. He says nothing, but his eyes tell me everything. I reach up with my right hand and place it over his non-beating heart. He flinches slightly but stays on his place. Our eyes are still locked together and I'm sure mine are no longer honey-brown but dazzling blue as they still see deep down his soul. But soon they fade away to their usual colour and look at the blue orbs of the ancient vampire. Eyes full of wanting and loneliness, desire and suffering. I can't keep looking in them so I lower my head and rest it on his chest. My hand grabs his T-shirt and pulls his body closer to mine. I notice how good our bodies fit together. His hand suddenly ends up in my messy blonde curls and I feel him sniffing them. At first I feel embarrassed and try to move away but his unexpected relaxation next to me lets me know it is ok.

A few more seconds pass, both of us almost hugging in the middle of the room, and I decide to finally lift my head. He backs away a little so that he can see my eyes, but his get caught somewhere lower – on my lips. I notice that and despite my restrain I lick them. I see him raise an eyebrow at this movement and I turn my head away. Well, at least I try but he quickly grabs my chin and turns my face towards him.

"Don't look away." It was not an order or a plea. A request maybe?

I nod and smile at him, even though our closeness makes my body feel strange and hot. His sudden caressing of my cheek makes me bite my lower lip but this time I don't look away. His eyes leave mine for only a second so to glance at my lips and then he looks at me once again.

"May I?" He whispers.

I don't know what he is asking for but in this very moment I don't think there's a thing I can deny him. So I nod without breaking our eye contact. And then his lips meet mine in an uncertain and shaky kiss. At first I stay like that – frozen like an icicle. But the moment I feel he'll pull back I fist his T-shirt even tighter and pull him towards me, deepening our kiss. And with the closing of my lids I shut down the surrounding. Because this moment is only ours. His and mine. And nobody has the right to cut it short!


	5. Relatives, flowers and trouble!

We reach our destination an hour before sunrise. Most of the survived were sent directly to hotel Carmilla so that's why now we are no more than five vampires in the lobby, waiting to receive our room keys and the appearance of the nest leader. I, personally, have no intension to lock myself in a room and sleep like a dead man until I make sure Godric arrives safe and sound. He and Erik stayed behind to take care of the Queen and talk to the King. He said that he would be here after His Majesty brings his royal ass to our nest, or what's left of it and escort the Queen out of his territory.

Now I feel a strange and disturbing knot tying in my stomach at the absence of the brunet male which makes me feel uneasy. A hand on my shoulder brings me back to the present and I turn to see Sable looking at me with a pale face and eyes full of fear. Before I can even ask her what's wrong we are already on the rooftop and the metal door shuts behind us with a soft click. I turn to my friend but I can't even open my mouth as I see why we are here. On the guardrail, with his hands crossed over his muscular chest, and his short blonde hair in its usual messy shape, sits my brother with a grim expression on his face. I take only one step towards him when I feel a sudden whiff and hear Sable's yell. The sudden pain in my back and the tight grip over my throat tell me that he is really pissed. At first I think letting him have his way would be for the best but I change my mind the moment he pushes Sable, who comes to help me, so hard that she flies away and smacks against the brick wall.

"SABLE!" I yell as her body falls to the ground like a rag doll and does not rise up.

The tightening around my throat is rewarded with a bunch of painful signals that my oesophagus sends to my brain, which makes me grab my brother's hand and crush it with my fingers until I'm sure that all the bones are broken. He yells and jumps back enough for me to kick him in the stomach and send him flying away. He hits the ground hard and stays there for a second or two but I don't waste my time as I rush towards the motionless Sable. Her hair, which is strangely sticky, covers her face and it takes me no more than just a second to find out why as blood streams down her head, making her long messy curls stick to each other. I grab the motionless female by the shoulders and make a pitiful attempt to wake her up. The sudden pressure on my head and the tight pull over my hair signalizes me that my time's up. The next thing I know is that I'm flying across the rooftop and that if I don't do something soon I will definitely fly over the edge. In the last minute I flip around and land on my feet, only a few centimetres away from the guardrail. Lifting my head I manage to glance at my sibling before he disappears in a blur of colours only to reappear in front of me. His icy blue orbs that stare at me are full of betrayal and hurt. His muscles are tense; shoulders sagged under an invisible burden and jaw tightly clenched. I know something is wrong. My brother never loses that spark in his eyes, never looks so defeated and definitely never, ever, attacks his close ones.

In a despaired attempt to tell me something or attack me he reaches at me but before his fingers can even caress my skin he is lifted in the air by the back of the neck and thrown halfway back. I gasp and try to take a step but Sable's strong grip of my wrists stops me. I look at our now linked hands for a second then I look at her. There is blood all over her pale face, her hair a messy bush of curls and her clothes dirty and ripped here and there but as whole she is fine.

"I had no choice." She whispers, bud doesn't release my arm. Despite the softness and hurt in her voice her orbs are a complete opposite. They are cold and angry.

"What did you do?" I ask, feeling the anger bubbling in me.

"He compelled me to bring you up here. I tried to stop myself but it was all in vain. When he threw me at that wall the connection somehow broke. As he is older than me trying to help you would be pointless so… " she left her sentence like that, unfinished, but I got the point.

My gaze turned towards my brother and the other men. It took me no more than a second to recognise Godric who was towering over my fallen sibling, and even less to figure out what my friend did.

"He's not gonna show any mercy." It is not a question, more like a statement.

I look at the three males who are now barking like wild dogs at each other. Eric, who is the largest, looks at my brother with unhidden hate and grabs him by the throat after he says something stupid. Jason tries to fight him off, but it has no effect as the older vampire is like a rock.

I release my hands from the grip of my friend and zip towards the males. With a swift movement I manage to set my brother free and push Eric away. The larger man stumbles a few steps back but regains his balance. My brother tries to attack but I grab him by the T-shirt and pull him behind me. Well, I use a little bit more strength than necessary and he falls to his ass, but I manage to stop Godric's swift form from attacking. He tries to get around me but my hand on his chest stops him. All this happens for less than a second.

Despite the fact that we lack the need to breathe I feel the brunet's chest lifting and then a sigh leaves his lips. He's angry, I can tell, as his eyes have turned greyish and his fangs are out. He does not look at me nor says a thing but when I slightly apply some pressure over his chest and he takes a step back.

"We should all calm down now." I say slowly as my hand never leaves Godric's chest.

Eric's snort makes me wanna roll my eyes but I don't as this may not be the best time to be bitchy. My brother's sudden movement catches my attention and I grab him by the throat before he could attack somebody.

"Don't you even _dare_ thing about it, Jason!" I hiss as I grip him a little bit harder.

A sudden whiff of hot air blows my hair away and brings the scent of the upcoming sun and its warmness. I glance at my wrist watch just to see that the sun's about to rise. A quick peek at Godric and Eric and I know that we have no more than a few minutes as the bleeds have already started. I try to say something but Godric has left his stop. So has my brother. I quickly turn around to see how Godric squeezes the life out of Jason, who is pinned to the wall so hard that little cracks have formed. As I try to take a step towards them Eric's strong grip on my shoulders makes me stop. I turn my head towards him ready to yell and fight but he doesn't say a thing, only shakes his head.

"Let him say what he has to say to the boy."

I tilt my head at Sable who stands next to us and she only nods. I puff but don't make a move. Before I know it the brunet male is in front of me, his eyes back to their usual bluish-grey colour, staring right at me. I don't blink for a few seconds; the next thing I know I'm in the hall of the hotel.

Without a word said we separate. I go to my room and lock the door after me. The night's events are starting to have side effects over me. The tiredness and annoyance are the two main emotions that circle through my system the whole night and even more now so that it's a good thing I took one last meaningful decision by sending both my brother and Godric away before locking myself in the apartment. The fact that I may lash out at them at any time, to show my worst faces, makes me wanna punch a wall. Because my emotional walls started crumbling down the moment I saw that Godric was almost captured and killed, and so they are literally at the verge of falling apart.

Cracking my neck and taking off my clothes is the only thing I'm able to do before I go in the bathroom for a quick shower and then in bed. I fall asleep the moment I touch the pillow. I feel nothing as the darkness consumes me and all my senses shut down, leaving me in peace. At last….

When I wake up I have no more than twenty minutes until the sun rises so I decide to take a shower and try to relax my still tense muscles. As I comb my now wet hair I realise that a ball is forming in the pits of my stomach. 'Freaking nerves!' I hiss mentally as I decide to braid my long blonde locks. When I finish a knock on my door splits the comfortable silence. 'Here it goes…'

I walk to the door and try to prepare mentally for the storm that is going to lash out on me any moment. Usually my brother and I don't argue or defy the other's authority but now things are different and I'm almost one hundred per cent sure that something bad happened in San Diego while I was gone. As I grab the knob and twist it I feel that freaking knot in my stomach tying painfully again. I take a deep breath then exhale and pull the door open. My blonde brother stands on the other side of the threshold, his hands in his pockets, trying to fake a carefree attitude. Only if he knows how poorly he is failing at that.

"We need to talk." Well, at least he is direct!

"I'm really not in the mood for the 'you should have told me' talk right now, Jase." I rub my suddenly throbbing temples and try to chase the headache away.

"That's not why I'm here for." Suddenly his voice is cold and strict, like a father running low on patience with his disobedient little daughter.

"Then speak."

"Can I come in?"

"Not until you tell me what's wrong."

There are a few seconds of aching silence that makes my suddenly appeared migraine hit my brain even harder. As I rub my temples for a second time, never breaking eye contact with my brother, I try to figure out on my own what is wrong. The list with the stuff that can get my brother so pissed is relatively short. 'Okay, so it must be some family business. I must be out of the picture as I'm here with Godric, Jason looks fine so the only one left is…' the sudden discovery makes me tense as I look at my brother and bark:

"Get in, and pray the Lord that I'm wrong!"

He only enters the room without saying a word, sits on the red sofa and when I shut the door and lock it, he sighs. It is a deep and full of desperation and tiredness sigh. 'Definitely bad news!' I take a sit in front of him and wait for him to begin.

"I did some seriously bad shit after you left, Sook." He confesses in a low, almost a whisper like, voice.

I don't say a word, patiently waiting for him to continue. The sudden tension that wracks my body and the fact that Jason's head is bent so low that his blonde locks hide his eyes from me, makes me wanna hit something. The dissonance vibrations coming from him are so thick that I'm sure I will be able to cut them with a knife! As I know pacing around and rushing him won't help I try to give him all the time he needs, but I find it difficult to-

"I'm dying."

'Touché!'

After my brother finished his story I was so mad and frustrated that it took me at least 3 seconds to snap myself out of the shock and slap him across the face.

"You idiot!" I remember yelling at him before running out of my room and right into the back gardens from where I teleported somewhere safe and secluded, so that I could think and relax. I barely recall Sable's sudden yell from my room and the crashing sounds that came after it. It soon all faded away and I was no longer in the city, or the state. My sudden outburst and the emotional flow had made my mind picture the last place I felt carefree and at peace. 'It's a little bit ironic for me to hide from the storms in my life near a volcano.'

The Haleakala National Park was created in the 17th century near the volcano that gives the name of the park itself. At first there wasn't much to see, as the volcano had destroyed one huge part of the flora and fauna in the area. Nowadays, though, step by step the nature is coming back, as the 'house of the sun', which the name _Haleakala_ means has long ago fallen asleep. Of course almost nobody knows that I had made myself a little nest in the Park, near the crater itself. At the time I got that strange idea to build a house on a volcano, I was in the state of complete rage. I hardly remember what for but one thing I'm sure of – I did it to make Ian angry. He was so bossy and overprotective at that time that I was literally suffocating thanks to his closeness! So I acted impulsively and invested in a house near the volcano but soon changed my mind, probably thinking that it was too insignificant and not risky enough. So I did some last minute changes and the house, with the knowledge of some members of the authority of course, was built almost at the very top of the crater and yet it was completely hidden from the praying eyes of the never ending tourists. It was a win-win for me and the state of Hawaii as I got the privacy and solemnity and they got the money from the building of my home, the passage for the electricity and water pipes, not to mention the bonus that if the sleepyhead decides to wake up one day I'll be the first to smell it and I'd inform the locals. So I had permission and a house and they got the best volcano alarming system they could get and some money in the treasury.

The house itself was made of 10cm thick bulletproof glass, only some walls and the roof were made of wood mixed with some metals. The furniture for the time I lived in there, was quite modern – wood and cotton, nice colours, dots and stripes, hippish and yet classy. It has one living room; a kitchen and a library on the first floor, while on the second there are four bedrooms, each having its own bathroom. Oh, I have an indoor pool as well. It is actually dug into the rock with half of the house, as I was hoping that Ian may decide to come to visit me some day. That never happened, though. Anyway, I lived in the house for a couple of years until I, eventually, got bored and left. Still I used to come once in a while just to check on it and see if everything was ok. Now, finally back after my long departure, I find my little save heaven in need of cleaning and redecorating.

With that thought I'm off to the nearest city from which I buy things from bleach to mops, from curtain made of colourful beads to a few new cushions in nice beige.

While walking down the streets of Kahului, the only city that's big enough so that I can buy all the things I need, I spot a little corner shop for flowers. I like flowers but never had the courage to buy some because I'm not always home and I can't take care of them, not to mention that most flowers hate volcanic climate. I enter the little fancy yet cosy shop and look at all the strange and different flowers. A leggy blonde, no more than 32, nears me with a polite smile and asks if there's something she could do to help me. From behind my sunglasses I look her head to toe, old female habit, and find her way to pretty to be working in a flower shop. Until I see that, unlike me, she does not look me up and down. She doesn't even spare me a glance. Her pale eyes spot no one, glance at no one. Because they can't see anyone…

I take a breath and smile at her even though she may not see it.

"I'm looking for a flower that can cope with… climate changes…" I say while glancing at all the petite flowers that definitely will die if they receive a little bit more heat. They look so fragile like even the slightest touch can break them. I'm starting to doubt that there is even one flower that likes volcanic heat so I end up really surprised when the blonde woman starts telling me different names of all kinds of flowers.

"… we also have aloe, asparagus, begonias and so many more! Do you have any specific type of flower in mind?"

"Uhm… I don't really know much about flowers so I don't know what to take. I never had one actually. But I'd like something that has more colours than just green."

She laughs and nods.

"Then follow me, miss. You should have started with that! Just so you know most of the flowers that like warmer climate are in the green shade."

I nod, forgetting that she can't see me and follow her to the very back of the little shop. A metal door separates the shop from the storehouse. I watch the blind girl fishing a key-ring with at least 20 different keys on it from the pocket of her denim overall. For a second I overthink the possibility of her finding the right one in her state, yet I'm left amazed when only with one swiping of her slim fingers through the many keys she grabs the newest and smallest and unlocks the door with ease. She pushes it open and enters the dark void. Seconds later the darkness is scattered away by the rays of the fluorescent lamps and I follow the shop assistant inside. Probably, when empty, this place is huge, but now with all those flowers it looks like a labyrinth. The chattering of heels tells me that my guide has decided to go so I rush after her, trying not to push a flower pot or a giant tree. As I follow her silently I look around. I see no windows or air conditioners or what so ever. The whole space is taken by flowers and empty pots. The dampness and heat make the girl in front of me pant every now and then so I try to 'pant' as well, so that she won't ask any questions.

"Have you heard about the rose of Sharon?" her soft voice catches my attention and I wrack my brain but no information comes in hand.

"Never heard of it. What is it? I hope it's not a real rose?"

"Oh, no. it's also known as hibiscus. It's colourful, as you asked, and likes warmth."

After another turn, one of many, we stop in front of a huge shelf with thousands of little pots in different colours. I take a step closer and sniff the air.

"They smell nice, don't they?" I smirk and nod, but soon remember she didn't actually see me do it.

"Yeah. But they are so small."

And it is true – the little pots have little flowers in them who look too fragile for me to take them in my house.

"Oh, then something bigger, maybe?" and with that the blonde heads off in another direction and I'm left with no other choice but to follow her.

The next time we take a stop is in front of another shelf with lots of orange flowers. They all smell nice, yet strange, and I'm left to wonder if they are poisonous or something.

"I assure you they are not poisonous, miss. The Clive has just more…specific smell. " she says like she can read my thoughts or something.

"Well they really do look nice but sad as well."

And without another word she's off again. Almost 5 minutes pass until we stop again but this time the shelf is small and has no more than 15 pots on it. The flowers, all so colourful and cheerful, are the smallest we stopped near until now, but before I can even ask why we stop she grabs a pot and continues. I blink after her but decide to follow. I only manage to take a glimpse at a little tag hanging on the shelf saying _Koleus_ in nice red letters.

"What do you think about the Spathiphyllum?"

"Nice, but isn't it quite… sensitive?"

"It is but with the right care it's worth it!"

Yet she doesn't even stop by it. She passes the shelf like it's not even there. I follow close behind but still sniff the air near the beautiful white flowers. 'A pity. They don't smell.' We pass by many other shelves with different kinds of plants, most of which are only in the green shade. 'The fuck did nature did with the flowers loving warmth?'

Some shelves have so many little pots that I doubt that those bush-like flowers actually live in the wild. Like azalea, amaryllis, fuchsia and many whose nametags I failed to read.

"Hey, uhm…"

"Akala. It stands for 'pink' I guess."

"It's original. I never heard of it."

Akala just smiles and blushes. We walk in silence for no more than 2 minutes when she finally stops.

"This is the last thing I can offer you, miss."

Stepping aside I see a bush of fiery red petals, swaying under the soft breeze coming from another door down the path left slightly ajar.

"What are those?" I ask as I gently take one of the little red flowers in my palm. It's soft to the touch and has a light smell.

"This, miss, is Cuphea ignea. Our Queen. Isn't she just wonderful?"

As I gaze at the little trunk like flower I really do find it wonderful and unusual.

"I'll take two. And one Spathiphyllum… make those two actually. And maybe that Koleus one you grabbed on the way here? "

The smile that appears on Akala's face brings a sudden and unexpected feeling of warmth to my chest. Even in her state of complete darkness she smiles and brings light into another person's soul. '_Soul_ _lighter_…' the long forgotten name of a tribe of people that no longer exists matches this girl's personality and I'm almost 100% sure that she has their DNA in her system. 'A distant relative maybe?'

The Soul Lighters were people who had lost their ability to see the material world, but in exchange they were able to see the spiritual one. Ironically their greatest gift was also their curse. Back then there were people who thought nothing about the soul and hated the Lighters. It was no secret that sooner or later someone would destroy them. After all, despite the great opportunity they had, the spirits did nothing to help them when the Vandals killed the tribe in cold-blood. It was a bloodbath like no other. The sad part was that the warriors made to kill other warriors were killing defenceless blind people. It ended quickly yet the screams that shattered the night's calmness and sleepiness made my blood run cold. Since then it is believed that the Great Spirits had left us, ashamed and enraged by the lack of humanity in humans. Yet here I am, standing in front of a living descendant of that tribe. And despite the fact that her gift is weaker and in a different spectrum, she copes with it the best way she can.

After we finally go back to the shop I pay for my flowers and begin to leave when a sudden question I forgot to ask makes me stop.

"May I ask you something?"

"Only if I can return the favour!" she smiles childishly at me.

"How do you know where to go and which flower you are in front of?"

She thinks for a while before answering me, the smile never leaving her rosy lips.

"Intuition. And a lot of practise I guess."

"Fair enough."

"Now may I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"How's that you walk during the day without turning to ashes?"

The question catches me off guard and I stay silent, overthinking all the stuff I said and if I, somehow, managed to give myself away.

"I didn't mean to be rude. It's just that you are the first of your kind that I 'see' out during the day." She adds after a second or two of tense silence.

"I'm….different, I guess. But so are you." That statement doesn't seem to bother her one bit and she answers calmly while arranging a bouquet of daffodils.

"You mean the Soul Lighters? I've heard of them but I doubt we are related in some way."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well I can't see ghosts."

"But you see colours and shades. That's close enough."

My reply seems to startle her yet she only nods and tilts her head.

"Will I see you again?"

"Probably not. I don't live here."

"It's a pity then."

She comes from behind the desk and disappears in the forest of green plants, only her bushy blonde hair giving her away. A few seconds later she comes back caring a pot in her hands. She comes to me and offers it to me.

"What is it?"

"It's Strelicium. The Paradise Bird."

The flower looks like it came from the secret gardens of Heaven. It has the colours orange and violet in a perfect combination, giving it an exotic and surrealistic appearance. Not to mention that it actually resembles a bird.

"But it's not-"

"I know it's not big and all but I also know you won't stay here for long. When you go back to your home you will see it'll adapt just fine."

With that said and a soft smile she turns her back at me and walks back into the labyrinth of flowers.

"Goodbye Akala."

With that I leave the cosy flower shop and go to the car I rented when I arrived in the city. I unlock the boot and gently put the flowers between the other bags. When I make sure it's secluded and nothing will fall I close it and go to the driver's seat. I fire the engine and leave the city just like I entered it – unnoticed.

Akala was right – I left sooner than expected. Actually right after I cleaned the house and took a nap I decided to go back to Dallas and make sure everything was ok. The plan was simple – go back, talk to Godric, talk to Jason and Eric and just try to put some order in the mess I left behind. But Karma has its way with people, eventually throwing your own ideas in your face and laughing like a total bitch. If I have to be honest with myself I was not surprised when the things didn't go as planned. They never do anyway…

I return to the Carmilla hotel an hour and a half before sunrise to find it empty of any vampires. When I ask at the reception desk the black-haired man simply tells me that they had left. I nod and leave, returning to my car and driving off. At first I have no idea where to look for them so I decide to start from the most obvious place – the nest. To my greatest surprise I don't find the house halfway destroyed, quite the opposite actually. All the holes and windows are repaired, the ground is covered with grass and flowers like nothing bad happened here. As I exit the vehicle a sudden wave of familiar scents makes me freeze at the spot. 'I know that smell!' the joy that passes through my system is soon replaced with anxiousness and … fear? As I rush to the door and in the house a new set of emotions comes to life in me – anger, amazement and shock.

"You must be kidding me."

Those words slip through my lips before I can stop them but even if I haven't said a thing it wouldn't have made much of a difference.

In the middle of the living room six pairs of eyes stare at me, some with grief like Jason's, some regretful like Godric's, even Eric has an emotion in him right now, yet I cannot quite place it. My maker's are full of doubt. On a leather chair sits Sophie-Anne, her pale and frail hand holding a glass full of thick red liquid, probably blood, and her icy eyes stare at me full of mischief and ridicule. As she sways her glass I know she mocks me, everything in her posture and movements prove it. And, of course, right across of Her Majesty sits no one else but His Majesty, the King of Texas.

"I knew you would bring only trouble to my Kingdom." Hisses Luke, as his eyes look at me head to toe, judgingly.


	6. Love then Death

The moment I sit in the chair questions start bombarding me and soon enough the eldest start arguing. Godric and Ian are taking my side, Luke and that bitch are opposing them, and my brother and Eric keep it neutral. I turn to make an eye-contact with my brother a couple of times but it is all in vain as he is, as it looks, in deep shock. Eric isn't very talkative either, so I am left empty-handed.

"How can you explain her disappearance then!?" hisses Luke at Ian.

I flinch at his tone and am about to stand up and give him a piece of my mind when I catch Godric glaring at me, obviously telling me to sit on my ass and keep my mouth shut, so I lean back in my chair and wait patiently. And I intended to keep it that way until I sense a faint smell lingering in the air. It seems familiar to me and I look around for the source of it, despite the fact that whoever bled in here should be long gone. That's when I spot the glass full of blood sitting on the table, long forgotten by the ginger-haired woman; the substance in it is definitely blood but its unnatural colour makes me think that it isn't human's.

I glance at the arguing vamps and when I make sure they won't notice me I stand up and go near the table. Taking the glass in my hand I sniff the liquid. 'Oh my God! Vampire blood?!' the shock is written all over my face, I know, as I leave the glass back on the coffee table.

I quickly return to my previous spot then glance over at my brother and catch him staring at me. He turns his head away from me and I feel a pang in my chest. Gritting my teeth I turn to Eric but he is looking out of the window, lost in his own thoughts, so I look at the arguing vamps in front of me again. They all seen so calm, yet the venom dripping from their words, the sly irritation and unhidden hints can't fool anybody. I know they are all on the edge, waiting for a chance to start a fight. 'Leaving won't be a smart move…' I muse and again look at my brother for help but in vain. His head is bowed low, his elbows resting on his knees, his face hidden in his hands.

And as I sit there it clicks to me how to get out of the room without being followed by a bunch of angry vamps. As I relax in my chair I try to recall all the things I had learned during my time as a breather. It had been so long ago since I last practised it but the moment I let my consciousness go I feel the pull. It is like something grabbed me and pulled me out of cold water. The feeling is close to the one after somebody manages to pull you out of the depths of the sea, seconds before you drawn, and the first sip of air you take brings you back.

The whole process of letting go of the material world and embracing the spiritual one takes me a second or two. After I open my eyes I now _feel_ rather than see. My senses are a bit blurred but quickly that inconvenience disappears and I'm now standing in a room full of colours. There is no furniture in my new vision, rather than a palette of colours, some of emotions – mainly red around the arguing four, some yellow and blue around Jason and Eric, which meant that the blondes were anxious, sad, depressed etc. Looking around I see my own 'dead' form sitting in the chair, a cloud of green dust floating around. But the thing that worries me the most are the colours that show state of soul. As I glimpse at souls in the room I notice that Godric's soul, unlike last time, sparkles and swiftly moves around. Unlike him, that ginger-haired bitch's soul has the whole freaking red and yellow palette in her! Luke's soul I skip to see as a trace of bluish dust catches my attention. It's faint, almost unnoticeable, due to the hour distance, but I know that it's exactly what I'm looking for. Leaving my body behind I follow the trace down the corridor, past the wooden doors and in the dungeon where my 'greeting' ritual had taken place. I can't see if the room is still the same but I lack the need to as the colours that swirl here make me feel strange.

Contrary to general opinion when in this form the soul _feels everything_, including pain, sorrow, happiness and fear. And after I examine the colours for another moment I sense a ball of fear and rage settling in me. I near the farthest wall and spot someone's soul… or at least what's left of it. The light is gone, the colours are dull but not because the person is sad or lost, but because he or she is dying. I need nothing more so in a blink of an eye I'm back in the living room and in my body. The sudden reconnection makes me jolt like I had been struck by a lightning, a gasp for air leaving my lips. I lift my head only to see that everybody is looking at me. I catch Ian's eyes and I see the sorrow and regret in them just like the last time, but unlike then now I know why they are present. I jump on my feet only to be pushed roughly back by Luke.

"And where d'ya think y're going, missy!?" he snarls at me.

Without paying him any attention I rush out of the room, through the corridor, then down the stairs and through the door until I stop, finally reaching the dungeon. In the very far end I hear a muffled cry of agony and a familiar scent washes over me. _**Chanel 5**_.

"SABLE!" I yell as I rush next to her coiled form.

She tenses up and makes a weak attempt to pull away, but I grab her gently around the shoulders and position her head on my lap. She is shaking like a leaf, bleeding and most of all – dying. Her skin is so pale that I can see her purple veins; her lips have lost their puffiness and cherry redness and are now greyish and cracked. As she opens her mouth I expect to see her sharp fangs but that doesn't happen. No fangs are present in her mouth. The place where they are supposed to be is now swollen and still bleeding. By the sight of this I feel my stomach clench.

"Tell me who did this to you." I whisper in her ear as I bent down.

Her lips move but only muffled words come out. I lean even closer and this time I hear a name. I gently push the hair out of her face and without looking back I call Eric.

"Carry her up and call somebody who can cure her."

He looks at her then at me and kneels down next to us. He gently grabs Sable and carries her out the room. I turn around and spot the gleeful smile on Sophie-Anne's face. She mocks me. Tempts me. And I'm willing to take the bait only to smash her face in the nearest wall. But Ian acts faster than me and gets in my way.

"Move." I hiss.

"I can't let you do this, Childe. I know she had caused your friend great pain but challenging her won't do you any good."

"You all knew!?"

"Ah… " my Maker is in a loss of words and I turn my attention towards Godric.

His face is as stoic as ever, only a few wrinkles around his eyes show me that he actually is amazed.

"Did you know?" I whisper as my eyes water.

The very thought itself that Godric knew about Sable's state and didn't tell me sounds unreal.

"He didn't know. Nor did Eric. Only me and…" Ian stops and looks away.

"Hah. What a fuss about a mistake of nature like that French trash." Chips Sophie-Anne as she takes a sip of her drink while looking directly at me.

This time I snapped. A rush of hatred hits me like a tidal wave and I let it consume me. Fully. But yet again, before I even managed to grab her by the ridiculous hair, a pair of strong hands stops me. My back is suddenly firmly press against Godric's chest, his strong arms keeping me at place. But it's all in vain as my rage is blinding me.

"Let me go! I'll kill her!" I yell, but the grip around me doesn't loosen.

Seeing no way around this situation the brunet pins me to the wall, his hands holding my wrists above my head, his hips pressing mine in an attempt to stop me.

"Stop it! Look at me!" unlike his usual calm tone his voice now is angry and he barely contains himself from shouting at me.

"Let me go, damn you!" I continue to struggle.

"Ian, get them out of here."

"But…" my maker's poor attempt for contradiction is stopped by Godric's growl.

"Now!"

In a blink of an eye they are all gone but I can still hear the ginger's sinister laugh from the first floor.

"Let me go!" I'm now shouting, my fangs bared at him.

"Stop yourself!"

"Fuck off!"

"As your Sheriff I command you to take hold over your emotions. And it would be in your favour if you do not disobey me." The warning in his voice is clear so I stop struggling. My body goes limb and only his hold keeps me standing as tears start streaming down my face.

I slump down the wall a little bit, the ancient vampire's hands loosening their grip around my wrists a little bit while his hips and chest are still press against mine, keeping me on his eyelevel. Before I can stop myself a hiccup and a quiet howl skip through my lips, even more bloody tears running down my cheeks, as the realisation that my friend almost got killed thanks to me, hits me.

"Hey." Godric's whisper in my ear makes me huff.

"It's entirely my fault. Thanks to me she is in this state! If I hadn't chicken out after Jason told me…." I stop there as my throat clenches painfully, blocking all my words.

"Hey. It's all going to be alright. Sable will be taken care of. Eric won't let her out of his sight." He gently caresses my hair and runs his fingers through my locks. "Your brother told me what had upset you so much. And no, we will not talk about your abrupt departure of the nest now. " he tells me softly when he sees my sudden change of moods. "But you shall be punished once everything is back in place, little one." He adds lowly, his breathe tickling my ear. A sudden rush of heat washes over my sensitive senses and a whimper, my greatest shame, escapes from me.

"Godric…" his name leaves my lips like a prayer.

I search for his eyes but he looks away, trying to hide his feelings. He knows that the only way I can see him, all of his emotions and fears, is through those orbs of his.

"Look at me." I whisper, as I slowly move my body, creating slight friction between us.

He hisses lowly and turns his head towards me, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

"Spare me, Godric." I murmur, my eyes travelling from his eyes down to his lips. 'God, I wanna kiss you so much!' "Be my redemption…or end my misery right now."

The ancient vampire intakes loudly the unneeded oxygen as he searches my eyes and face for any signs of falsehood. I stay still, letting him look at me closely.

"If you seek answers, you won't find them on the outside but rather…" I free my right hand from his low grip, take one of his, and place it over my non-bearing heart " here…"

And then I let my walls grumble down before this man's eyes. It takes no more than a second for centuries old barriers to fall, and leave me bare for the whole world to see. Only once have I let them all fall, only once letting myself admit defeat and after then I had promised myself to never, ever, let another man see my truly. Yet here I am now, breaking that promise after two centuries.

"This is me." I whisper as wave after wave of memories, emotions, feelings and hurt wash over both of us.

I stand still, trying not to flinch under the Sherriff's tense gaze. I see his body stiffing and relaxing, his chest raising and falling fast, the pupils of his eyes expanding and contacting. I feel a string, thinner than thread but stronger than steel, connecting us. I don't break our gaze or let his hand go as colour after colour hits Godric's soul, letting him see what I have seen, letting him know what I know and allowing him to feel everything I have ever felt. And as I perceive the time loosing it's meaning and power over us I force my walls up around both of us. The basement disappears in a void of nothingness, tagging along all materialistic things, leaving only our colours to collide, dance, mix, flow around, and touch innocently.

"This is pure magic." I hear Godric's voice, filled with awe.

"No. This is us. The real us! " I reply as I send a wave of happiness and comfort his way.

Not a word more is said for what seems like days, but I know only a few minutes have passed. Soon it's time for the veil to be lifted and emotions to be hid. I try to memorise as much as I can from the brunet's soul, having more colours and less cracks now.

Before I know it we are back in the moist basement and I feel my legs turning into jelly. As my body goes down the wall two strong, yet gentle, hands catch me. My lids are heavy now and I know I'm about to faint, yet I struggle with the tempting void that calls me, enough to repeat my plea:

"Spare me or kill me."

And then the world vanishes, the only thing that I manage to glimpse before fainting, are the two blue orbs looking at me.

Silence. That is what greets me when I finally gain my consciousness back enough to make at least one of my heightened senses work. Yet not even someone's even breathing can be heard. I still fail to move my limbs as they feel heavier now and all my stamina is gone. 'Wake up…' I try to talk myself into doing something but even thinking takes my energy away. 'Shit!'

And just like that all the sounds around me hit my delicate hearing. It feels like the wall that separates me and the rest of the world disappeared in a puff of smoke. I hear at least four voices but they all mix together, yell at each other, hiss, curse, whine and I find it impossible to understand even a word. Moreover my head is pounding now and the noise only worsens it. 'Shut up!' I yell and suddenly all the hustle and bustle vanishes. 'Why thank you!'

"Sookie?!"

Unexpectedly a male's voice breaks through my soundproof bubble and reaches me. It is painfully familiar and brings a whole short film along. I find it really strange how a person's voice can unlock a storm of memories.

A sharp intake of breath brings me back. I had been peacefully and blissfully asleep, drifted away from the painful reality and bitchy karma for no more than 24 hours! It becomes obvious that somebody out there just doesn't want me to be left alone for a while. My eyelids flutter open and the bright light blinds me for a second but I get used to it. The first face I see is Godric's. His soft blue orbs are gazing at me worriedly and I barely manage to crack a smile his way before a terrible headache makes me squeeze my eyes shut.

"Shit!" I curse lowly and make a frail attempt to turn to one side as lying on my back seems to only worsen the newly appeared pain.

"Godric make them leave…" I mumble as I bury my head deeper into the softness of the pillow.

In a hush the room is basically empty. Suddenly a wave of laziness washes over me and I feel as if I'm about to fall asleep again. The sound of the puffing of the bed warns me that someone, named Godric, has just climbed next to my almost unconscious form.

"Mmhpmmm…. I feel like a bull played step dance over me… " I mumble into the pillow.

I hear Godric moving again and the mattress swings lightly under his weight. When he finally stops I feel his hot breath on my neck and instantly stiffen. His proximity makes me wonder what exactly flows in his head. The next thing I know the warm and comfy duvet is tossed aside and my T-shirt is ripped open. I'm about to yell and scold him but a soft pressure over my neck stops me. Before I start having any strange ideas the pressure vanishes and it's his hot breath that ghosts over my hair.

"Then, if you do not mind, let me bring back your lost vitality and energy."

He kisses the back of my neck before I can reply, his playful tongue darting out and gently touching my sensitive skin. I shiver as a wave of pleasure washes over me, a throaty moan disturbing the silence of the room. The fact that I enjoy this seems to amuse him as a low chuckle suddenly vibrates over my back, showing me how close we are, and almost immediately earning him a pleasure-filled purr.

As Godric's skilled lips and tongue go down my spine I feel his fingers tracing my tattoos and old scars. His journey, though, stops abruptly when his fingertips run over a deep, relatively fresh, wound.

"What did this to you, love?" his low whisper is filled with unsaid promises of unimaginable pain to those who have dared to hurt me.

That fact that Godric asks 'what' rather than 'who' doesn't stay unnoticed by me but I only shake my head and move my shoulder blades anxiously. He gets what I mean, but his frail kiss on the shoulder leaves no doubt that he will ask me again later and then I'll have to answer him.

"Shhh…"

His mouth moves over the wound and his tongue darts out to lick the still sore gash. I hiss, not from pain but rather surprise, when his sharp fangs appear, skitter over the cut and carefully reopen it. I have no idea why he did it but soon after I feel a puddle of blood forming on my back. And just like that he licks it off! Before I can even open my mouth in protest I feel and ancient and alluring odour linger in the space between us. I turn my head to the side and see that he has bit into his bottom lip and now crimson drops were running down his chin and dropping on my back. Unknowingly I lick my lips and my gaze blurs slightly as I try to follow the movement of every single drop that temptingly lands on my bleeding back.

All of a sudden Godric bends down and his cut lip gently touches my wounded flesh. This time a loud moan passes through my full and aching lips as a rush of heat strikes my body and a knot ties in the pits of my stomach. 'Oh God, I'm so wet! And he barely touches me!' I think as he closes both our wounds and licks off the blood that's left.

I blush when I hear Godric sniffing the air, and feel him smirking down at me. I try to hide myself in the pillow and ignore the male on top of me but I fail miserably. So when his hands find their way to the lower of my back I try my best to keep all kinds of vocal approval to myself, teasing him and knowing perfectly well that he'll get irritated of my lack of~

"Ouch!" I yelp as his teeth bite into the back of my thigh, _very_ close to a certain soft stop.

My legs twitch nervously as I try to close them, but his iron grip leaves no room for protests. Moreover I have to bite my lip so to keep quiet and that just makes him dig his teeth even deeper, making my plan even harder to accomplish. A low growl rumbles through his chest, showing me that he isn't pleased with my lack of moaning and warns me that a pleasurable punishment will await me if I don't do something about the sound check. I can feel my control slipping away as his traitorous hands glide over my firm ass and down my legs but not even once touching the already sensitive skin. A chew my pillow as my body starts to fail and little by little succumbs to his will and body.

"Come on now, lover. Don't do this to us." his breath ghosts over my now red flesh, where his bite-marks are still visible.

"Mhmp!" I grumble as his sharp fangs now travel over my skin, nearing that pulsating patch of skin between my legs that seems to activate itself every time I hear Godric's low and seductive voice. 'God help me!'

Before I know it he has me laying on my back, his head bowed over my stomach and his tongue playing with my navel.

"Oh my…" I moan when his sharp fangs graze over my skin, sending chills all over my body.

His hands wonder up to my breasts, squeezing them gently while planting butterfly kisses all over my stomach.

„I missed you."

I run my hand across his dark locks, locking my eyes with his.

„You don't know me for so long so as to miss me already."

„That's what you think." He says and slips his head between my breasts.

I gasp as his mouth closes around my nipple, gently biting it with his sharp teeth. After a moment his lips move to my other nipple, giving it the same treatment. I twist like an arc, driven mad by the magic his lips do on my body. Leaving my now swollen breasts he travels south, only stopping when his tongue reaches my navel again before it moves lower.

„You missed me as well." He whispers with that typical male satisfaction as his middle finger is slightly tracing over my wanting centre. „I feel that you are ready and desire me just as much as I desire you, young one."

He lifts my legs and puts them on his strong shoulders, burying his face in the hotness between my thighs. I feel his tongue like hot velvet over my sensitive skin. My hands grab the sheets, my breasts start lifting faster as his skilled muscle starts describing circles around my clit until he finally touches that hypersensitive ball of nerves. I moan, moving my lower body, searching for his devilish teasing that's making my muscles tense from the uncontrollable desire to finally cum.

„Please, Godric….!"

„Not yet... After all this is a punishment. „

And he is really torturing me, driving me to the very peak of my orgasm and then leaving me like that. And he does it over and over again until I am glittering from the drops of sweat that roll down my aching body.

His tongue is moving skilfully and tirelessly, masterly focusing on my clit, until he brings me to the very point where the only thing I really want is to finally have my release.

His sudden departure of my now throbbing vagina makes me yell out loud from frustration and pull the sheets so hard that they rip apart. My breasts are lifting hastily up and down and my fangs have come out of their gums.

"I swear in all the gods that are out there that if you don't fuck me right away I'm gonna destroy you…" I huff, puff and hiss as I look down at him, barely propping up on my elbows.

Godric snickers and suddenly appears right in front of me.

"I'd like to see you try, lover." He murmurs as he starts kissing my face.

First my cheeks, then my chin, my temples, my forehead. And I'm lying there wriggling underneath him, trying in vain to make even the least of contact.

"So eager.." he mumbles as he kisses that soft spot behind my ear, ".. so horny…" kisses my jawline, "..so impulsive.." kisses the corner of my mouth.

Godric lifts his body and I manage to finally have a good look at his face. And I'm pleased to see that he, just like me, is almost itching with want and lust. His eyes are so intense and dark that a sudden shiver wrecks my body and I moan. In return a grumble vibrates in his chest and my breathing quickens.

"What's wrong, Miss Starcrom? Have I reached your limit? " his low masculine voice fills the room.

In a blink I turn us over and straddle him, a victorious smirk gracing my features. As I move my hips seductively over his hardened groin I see him take a long unneeded breath and hold it, until I rub against, as it seems, a very sensitive spot and Godric arches his back, hissing threating.

His strong hands grab my thighs and pull me down, almost painfully-pleasurable, against his hard member. I moan, arching my back and tossing my head back, basically throwing my tits in his face. Apparently taking that as an invitation he rises fast and takes one of my nipples in his hot mouth. I whimper as he bites the sensitive bud and then licks it.

By the time he is done with my other nipple I'm panting and am so wet that my panties are soaked. But that doesn't make Godric finally take me. Rather than that he bites and kisses his way up my collarbone, my throat, and then the jawline until he reaches my mouth. He stops there, only a millimetre away from me, and our hot breaths mix as I try to not to come while we continue the little game of cloth-fucking. I rock my hips against him a little bit slower as I rest my forehead against his. He grunts as he closes his eyes for a brief second, letting me admire his marvellous face. His cheeks are slightly red, his brows furrowed and nose wrinkled from the effort he puts in not to fuck me right there and then. When he looks at me again, his eyes are even darker with lust, his pupils have become so big that I can't even separate them from his irises. Then my gaze travels lower and I see that, just like me, his fangs are out, biting slightly his lips.

"Godric…" is all I manage to say before our lips meet in a heated open-mouthed kiss.

I moan in his mouth and he takes the opportunity to stick his marvellous tongue deeper in my hot cavity. His hands rock my hips lower and faster, deeper and more sensual and I feel as if I'm about to break. His hardened member is already quite obvious through his khaki pants and the moisture in my sex seems to increase.

When our mouths finally separate I decide it's time to get a little bit more naked if the 'torture' will continue. So I grab his cotton T-shirt and rip it apart throwing the pieces aside.

"Someone just got impatient…" he murmurs and rises an eyebrow at me.

In return I grind my hips even stronger, my hands travelling over his body. Godric hisses and throws his head back, howling lowly, and I use that golden opportunity to marvel at his bared throat. I start from his collarbone, kissing and nipping at the thin skin until I reach his Adam's apple and give it a full long lick, feeling it bob under my wet tongue after I gently bite it with my canines.

"Sookie…" he moans and grips my ass tightly, pulling me even closer to his bared chest.

Kissing his jawline I travel west to his ear and take its soft part between my lips, squishing it playfully, which earns me another squeeze accompanied with a growl.

After a light bite I trace my hands over his hard chest, my lips admiring him like a god. One of his hands leaves my ass and buries itself in my locks, pulling my head closer to him. My lips leave a hot and wet trail over his toned muscles until he pulls me by the hair and sweeps us over. After he is comfortably situated between my legs he pulls me by the calves and lifts my lower part.

"You smell… wonderful, my love." He says after pulling my panties aside. "And I intend to find out if you taste just as wonderful…"

After what seems like hours I'm so horny, swollen and aching with lust that I find it hard to think, talk or move. Godric has made it crystal clear throughout those 'hours' that leaving without his knowledge was a bad move, and that I deserve to be punished. And he made me like it. Being the old and powerful creature he was, during his long existence he had… learned quite a few tricks on how to make a torture be a living hell and at the same time a pleasure-filled game. He never, even once, let me finish so when he finally decides I have had enough he kissed my breast and huffs. I take that as a green light and finally smile.

"You seem happy."

"I am."

"And why is that if I may ask?"

"Because…" I whisper seductively as I put a hand over his chest and push him lightly, "…I will have the opportunity…" Godric lets me push him so that he's lying on his back and I toss one leg around his waist, straddling him but not touching skin, ".. to get fucked …" I grab his pants and pull them playfully, biting my bottom lip, "… and make sure to rip your shell to shreds." With that I pull the pants off of him with a single movement, tearing the fabric apart.

I find out that he has no undergarment and I smirk, moving my already dripping sex over his. He hisses lowly while observing me as I lower myself over him. I'm swollen and dripping which makes everything a lot easier. As we are both beyond the point of patient love-making I don't take him in bit by bit but rather all at once and he doesn't fuck me slowly but rather like a wild animal. Just the way I want it.

I wake up with the sense of satisfaction. Even before I open my eyes I know he is sleeping next to me. Grinning like a total loony I flutter my lids open and stretch my arms. Lifting myself and peeking at the watch on the wall I see that there's at least one hour until the sun sets and the vampires rise.

Sitting in the bed I gaze at the brunet's sleeping form and just can't stop myself from tracing my fingers over his peaceful looking features. A warm feeling settles in when he subconsciously leans towards me, seeking my touch. Yet that warming feeling vanishes in a second as I feel my 'morning' sickness crushing me back into the soft duvet. The pain wracks my body and I hiss, gripping the bed for support and clenching my teeth. I try not to trash in bed or yell, as I do not wish to wake Godric from his slumber. So as much as it pains me I leave the bed and as fast as I can I rush to the bathroom.

The dark spots and the dizziness have already appeared when the bathtub is finally filled with icy water. As I look at my reflection in the calm water I know that the pain that's harassing my body now will be a child's play once I enter the bathtub and my body dies. 'He'll get worried… I should warn him…' I tell myself to rise and go to the wash basin where I grab the razor that is hidden in one of the cabinets. As I near it to my vain I start losing focus over my arm, melting away and reappearing. I'm swaying on my feet so I rush back to the bathtub, sitting on the edge, and I almost fall back in the water. After regaining my balance I lose no time and cut my arm then I dip my finger into the bleeding wound. I write my message to Godric with shaking hands on the wall and that takes all my energy and strength. The razor slips from my fingers and falls to the ground… I slip from the edge and fall in the water.

_Pain. _That's all I can feel in the beginning. Enormous waves of non-stopping pain. My lungs were fighting for a gulp of air but now they need it no more. My body is dead. I'm dead. And it hurts like a mother-fucker. The cold water suffocated me in no time and now it keeps me at the bottom. Only here I'm truly a vampire, truly whole. But if I get out I'll soon get back to my twisted, only half-dead life. And I don't want to. Not yet. So I let the coldness engulf me and kill me.

I was never like the others, as you know. The story of my miserable and hard life I can tell until I bore you to death. So here's the short version: when Ian turned me he laid us in a grave where we should have slept the day out and woken up the next evening when my first kill should have happened. Well it didn't happen that way. I didn't wake up. I'd have never did if he hadn't thrown me in the Ice Lake. It was in the middle of one of the coldest winters in the history and the Ice Lake had turned into a Frost one. Its layer of thick ice was impenetrable. There was a legend that in that lake lived mythical water creatures that hated intruders. Once they used to be a peaceful and helpful tribe but people used and corrupted them, turning them into blood-seeking monsters. Yet it was believed that the Lake's magical healing powers remained. So despite his instincts to run as far away from there as possible Ian brought me to the Lake and walked over the ice. While walking, knowing perfectly well that they could hear him and, if wanted, kill him, he told them what had happened. He had begged them for help, asking for their long gone, yet not forgotten mercy towards human girls. They heard him and decided to help me. They showed him a hole in the ice and told him to throw me in. At first he thought they were joking but seeing that their favourable attitude had started to fade away he threw me in the dark cold pit, praying the gods that I'd live. And I did. Well, as a vampire of course.

The thing he didn't know was that when he threw me in there the creatures grabbed me and pulled me to the very bottom of the Lake. There they tied me to a rock and with something sharp started cutting me. I had woken up by then thanks to the unimaginable coldness of the water so the pain that came from the darkness made me yell, therefore exhale all my oxygen. The death was slow and painful. They were killing me, trying to make me succumb to their will and give up. They wanted me to die. To _really_ die. And with every passing second I wanted to die, to finally be free and pass on. But then I remembered how kind was Ian towards me all those months, how he adored me for my humanity and naivety, how we laughed around the fire when I told him how my day had passed, how I had chased rabbits and deer, how I scared off intruders that dared to come too close to his grave and other funny stories. My memories flashed in front of my eyes and I just couldn't find the guts to give up…. To leave him alone. So I fought. I kicked and scratched until I managed to, somehow, free myself from the ropes they had tied me with and just swam. Swimming like crazy I managed to reach the light, to find the hole in the ice gropingly and finally take a long gulp of air. Only to realise I don't need it. I had turned into a vampire!

Later on it turned out nothing was the way it seemed. My transformation was only half-way done. Neither I, nor Ian knew what was going on, why it had happened or how it can be fixed. Having nothing to lose we made a little test. Tying me under water for hours did nothing to me. Tying me under _ice-clod_ water did a lot to me. It seems that after being in cold water for more than an hour I re-die after literally going through hell, only to wake up as a vampire. A whole and complete one. But the effect disappears after a week or two, depending on the hours spend underwater.

That way we found out that I was at death's door. And I couldn't cross any of the lines. I had been doomed to be half-vampire half something else.

I have been staying away from cold water as much as I could during my after-life. I admit sometimes I was tamped to turn into a real vampire but deep inside the fear of the pain made me change my mind. And thanks to that fear I worked twice as much as the others, fed more, yet careful not to kill somebody, and eventually became a better vampire. You all know that every vampire has that 'dark' period in their life time? Well, thanks to the fact that I'm only a half one I skipped that step. And I'm grateful!

The water is calm. My body lays motionless on the bottom, my hair swimming around me and my body – bristled. And despite my dead-looking form my mind is fully operational. Due to the water in my ears I can't hear much, but when somebody bangs the bathroom's door open and yells my name out I know an hour has passed. 'If I wish to stay full long enough I need a 24-hour course.' I whine to myself as a sudden wave of pain starts crawling from my toes up my body. When the wave, moving slower than a snail, reaches my chest area and literally makes my internal organs contract painfully, little bubbles of air leave my swollen lips. A hand breaks the water shield and gently caresses my cheek. I know it's Godric that's looking after me so I relax. 'Only a few more thousand times.' I muse as the pain comes again, crushing my body and killing me in the process.

_Death's only the begging…_


	7. Let's solve the problems

"Ahhhhh…." I moan as a gulp of fresh air enters my lungs. And right after that I start coughing.

A pair of strong hands gently grab me and pull me out of the icy water. I wrap my arms around Godric and hide my face in the crook of his neck.

"It's all going to be alright, yes?" he asks cautiously.

"Yes." I croak as I hug him even tighter.

After entering the bedroom he lays me on the bed and disappears to somewhere. I close my eyes as my head is still spinning, my body is aching and I feel all my muscles clench painfully. Godric returns soon enough and starts taking off my clothes without uttering a word. Even despite his quietness I know there are at least one hundred questions swirling in his head. I feel somewhat ashamed from what I did, as it so selfish of me. After our heated session I literally left him alone in bed and jumped into the cold water, killing myself for a whole day.

"I know you are mad at me." I whisper as I massage my temples, letting him take off my shirt and throw it away.

"I'm not." He replies and makes me put on one of his T-shirts.

"Then you are upset." I try again while looking at his face.

"I'm too old to be upset about such things." He calmly tells me while putting on me a pair of shorts.

I grab his hands and stand up which results in my head literally exploding with pain. 'Fuck this shit!'. Despite that I stand on my feet, not minding Godric's pleas to sit and rest, and look him directly in the eyes.

"'Such things'? You make it sound like all this is nothing." Due to my tiredness I can't yell at him or even look angry. Maybe I seem depressed, tired, annoyed and a whole bunch of things.

"It was not my wish to upset you. Now sit back and rest." He says and tries to gently push me back.

'Like hell that'll happen!' I fuss as I grab him by the hand and throw him on the bed. Jumping on top of him in the last second I prevent the brunet from slipping away. He doesn't fight me off.

"I like you more when you are raw and impulsive." I purr, pinning him to the soft bed.

"That time is long gone and behind me. Now will you¬"

"I will not! Not until you stop this foolish act of yours! " I hiss while looking him right in the eyes.

"There's no act in my behaviour. If you do not like it you are free to leave." He replies calmly.

And that calmness feels like a hard slap across the face. I feel like he's giving me a hint. A hint to _leave_ him.

"Beg your pardon? This has nothing to do with your behaviour! It's the fact that you have wrapped yourself in a shell and you are keeping me out!" my voice is still horse but yet I find the strength to half-yell at him.

"What I do and do not is none of your concern. If I had decided to 'wrap myself in a shell' then it shall be like that and you won't question it."

"Don't you dare use that tone on me! I'm not a childe!" I hiss yet again, even despite my best efforts to keep it low.

"Then why are you acting like one?" He throws at me.

"I-i.." I look away from him for a moment and sigh. I leave the bed in a blink and go near the full – length mirror.

The woman I see in the reflection is somehow different now. She has my long blonde locks, but hers are somewhat blonder. Her skin is paler. Her honey orbs are darker and radiant. The lips are the same, full and cherry. Yet I can't recognise myself in the reflection. It's like looking at two really similar pictures, knowing there's a difference in them, yet not managing to spot it. Tilting my head to one side then the other I feel the same feeling – numbness. It's like I am not in my own skin anymore.

"You know…." I begin as I trace my cheekbones with my long and delicate finger, "I have always wanted to be a real vampire. Yet I never found the guts to deal with the enormous pain and the numerous killing stages. And so I didn't mind being only half-way done. I like myself this way – it made me stronger and who I am today." My finger stops at my chin and I glance at Godric who is now sitting on the edge of the bed and is watching me carefully.

"It's all quite easier when you are as mixed up as me – I skipped that 'dark stage' all other vamps brag about. I don't know what's like to lose yourself in bloody rivers and arias of screams and howls. I never felt the trill of the hunt as I didn't do it by choice but rather obligation." I look at him again.

"Yet I have had enough blood on my hands and in my hair to know what's like to take a life away. I hated it back then and I still do now. Like I said – I do it out of necessity rather than desire. Don't get me wrong – I'm not telling you all this to bore you or to earn your pity. I have had enough pitying people in my life, so I don't want you to feel bad for me. But I want something from you. And if you are not willing to give it to me then tell me so that I know my place and don't get the wrong idea." I confess, while looking in the mirror at Godric.

In a blink he is right behind me and his proximity awakens all my senses. My soul and body recognises him as a part of me, yet I can't tell him that. At least not _now_.

"I have nothing left to give…" he mumbles in my hair as he buries his face in my still damp locks. "My long existence deprived me off the things you seek."

I gulp as I try to keep my face unfazed. I know I shouldn't rush him or force him into doing something he doesn't want but I feel the need to claim him as mine and the fact that he denies me makes me wanna hit something. _Hard_.

"And what is that I wish and you lack?"

"Openness. Talkativeness. You said it- I have wrapped myself in a shell and I deny getting out of it. I won't betray my principles under _any_ circumstances. " he finishes and steps away. I swallow yet again that lump in my throat and give my best not to cry.

"So you do not want me?" I quaver but shut up before I say something that I should keep to myself.

I stare at my own reflexion as sudden urge to burst into tears makes me clench my jaw and look away. 'Still not good enough….'

"Look at me…" whispers the brunet as he tries to catch my eyes in the mirror.

I look away as that panging feeling in my heart brings me even closer to the tears that are just behind the corner.

"Look at me!" he commands tenderly and his cool fingers touch my jaw and turn my face towards the mirror so that our gazes meet.

"You have no blame for my mistakes, Sookie. " he says as he moves a strand of hair away from my face. "I broke myself a long time ago, distancing away from normal male morals. I do not wish you to get hurt. So understand me. I want you…" he buries his face in my hair again, whispering, "… more than you can even imagine and more than it's acceptable. But I cannot have you."

"But¬" I begin but the slight vibration that comes from his chest stops me.

"That's final. No more arguing." He says his poker face mask on again.

I clench my jaw so hard that my teeth grind. Our gazes meet in the mirror for a second before he vanishes. After the door closes itself with a click I look at my reflexion once again. Before I know it there are pieces of the glass flying everywhere, a shattering sound accompanied by a yell echos through the empty house.

I know I should start taking care of all the problems in my 'To-solve' list so the first place I visit is Sable's house. When we came she said she would stay at a cousin of hers but it turned out that he was out of town so she rented a small house not far away. It's a two-storey Victorian house painted in white and dark blue. The front lawn is evenly mowed and the bushes are trimmed. I enter without knocking and close the door with a soft click. The smell of death lurks in the foyer.

Not wasting any time I rush to the second floor and stop in front of one of the tree doors. The smell of rotting flesh that comes from there makes me wanna vomit. Yet I knock softly and press the handle. The door opens with a low creek and I peek through the opening. Keeping my poker-face on is one of the hardest task for that day as the stench that hits me is unimaginable.

As I enter the room I see Sable lying in the small bed, her form hidden under the many blankets. The windows are walled and neither light nor fresh air enters the room. The only light that illuminates the small premise comes from a few candles strategically located on the on top of the dresser, the bedside cabinet and the coffee table. I near the bed only to find my friend asleep. Not wishing to wake her up from her slumber I turn around to leave only to spot Eric sitting in an armchair across the room, watching me.

"Why are you here?" I ask as I near him.

"You told me to take care of her. That's what I'm doing – taking care." His voice hushes through within his entangled fingers in front of his face.

With his elbows resting on his knees and his posture slightly bend I find him a lot more scary than when he is in his full-length, shoulders squared and his face graced by mock. As I take a sit next to him I notice the blood stains on his face and on the furniture.

"Have you not rested even for a bit?"

"I wouldn't leave her alone…" he looks at me with the corner his eyes, "… and you basically disappeared into thin air. So I stayed here."

"I'm sorry." I whisper as once again I look at Sable's sleeping form.

"You look different." Erik states instead.

"I am." I confess in a low voice.

The silence that settles in makes me anxious and I find myself looking towards the Viking far too often. I don't know why but deep in me I feel the need to tell him what happened between me and Godric. Moreover I can ask him for advice how to get Godric to relax a little bit and let me in his shell. But before I can even open my mouth Erik mumbles:

"What happened between you and my Maker?"

"What makes you believe something happened?"

His blazing blue orbs glare at me as his voice drops to a threating whisper:

"Do not lie to me! I know my Maker better than you'll ever do!" taking a deep breath and looking away from me the blonde tries to calm himself down.

"He basically told me not to waste my breath 'cus it will never happen." I whisper as my gaze stops at Sable's sleeping form. "I want to be with him, Erik. He is the one. But he doesn't want to even give us a chance." My voice cracks and I stop for a second. "He chickened out but I don't blame him. If I were him I'd leave me as well." My voice quivers so I stand up and go near the brunette's bed.

Sitting near her I move a strand of hair away from her face. Suddenly her lids flutter and she opens her eyes, looking at me tiredly. She tries to open her mouth and tell me something. I only shake my head and touch her forehead lightly.

"There will be a punishment for those who hurt you without a reason, Sable. I promise you that!"

She only blinks my way for a minute or two before she turns her head to the other side and Erik materialises in front of her. I spot a faint smile gracing her swollen lips and a spark in her eyes I have never seen before. 'Wow… when did this happen?' I muse and smirk.

"What did the doctor say?" I ask the Viking.

"It will take years for her to grow a new pair of fangs…" he replies without even looking at me.

And yet again I see another side of him. Now hovering over Sable's powerless form he looks tense and restless. I don't need telepathic abilities to know that he thinks of ways how to avenge her. And in spite of his instincts to go and kill he stays here and takes care of her. As Erik sits on the edge of the bed, not even touching Sable, I see sparks flying around. Literally. As a full vampire know my abilities to see souls, emotions and feeling others have increased significantly.

"Your souls are full of hope and warmth…" a faint whisper leaves my lips before I know it and the sudden path of colours that appeared before me vanishes.

"What?" snaps at me Erik. 'Yeah… not so much warmness towards me though….'

"Never mind. " I smile.

Bringing my wrist to my mouth I bite into the flesh and my own blood fills my mouth in a minute. I make sure the wound won't close too fast before I put my hand over my friend's mouth. She's too weak to fight me off so Erik tries to interfere but I wave him off. As the minutes pass her form calms down and soon after she falls asleep. Her face is covered in blood but I know the Viking will take good care of her.

"What did you do?"

"I gave her back what has been taken away from her."

"The hell!? What does that mean! You are starting to speak with riddles just like Godric!"

"Yeah…. I guess it's contagious." I smirk and leave the room.

My next stop is a local vampire club. It's from the fancy ones with lots of people waiting outside in an endless queue to enter. The building is painted in black and the only colourful thing is the huge sparkling sign 'Mortemi' /* lat. mortem - death/ that's illuminated by two long neon tubes that circle around it. Separately from that two huge projectors rend the moonless sky. 'It reeks of death… how ironic…'

As I near the entrance a man taller than me steps in my way and roars:

"The end of the queue is back there, skank!"

"I'm looking for someone so it won't take much time."

He rises his hands with the clear intension to either shove me aside or hit me but before he can even pick which one his body falls to the ground in front of me. The male starts panting and howling from the pain that wrecks his body and soon blood starts flowing from his eyes, nose and mouth. Panicking, he starts screaming and his two pals rush to his rescue only to join him on the ground.

"I'm in a hurry gentlemen and your current state will worsen if you do not let me pass."

"Fuck off witch!" hisses the first before his own blood starts choking him.

"Wrong answer." I reply as I pass between them and head to the door.

Having seen what had just happened the other guard steps aside and bows his head. Without even sparing him a glance I open the heavy metal door and disappear in the sea of people. The three guards pass out not a moment too soon.

I find my brother sitting in a lounge covered in red velvet with three beautiful ladies sitting around him. Unspotted by no one I near their table, almost bumping in one of the waitresses along the way. She blushes and steps back, almost spilling the drinks on her tray.

"If you don't mind." I purr as I take one of the glasses full of whiskey and turn my back to her only to see that my brother has vanished somewhere and has left the three whores by themselves.

"Tch."

I sit at one of the free spots, cross my legs, push my hair away from my face and take a sip of my whiskey. The liquid pleasantly burns my throat.

"Ah… excuse me? This is a private lounge and you have no right to be here!" yells at me the blonde one.

I only raise my eyebrow at her. Thanks to the long night I'm having my patience is running critically low, yet I manage to refrain from commenting their scarce manners and even more scarce clothing. Humming I take another sip of my drink and look at the crowd. As usual it's full of half-naked women and horny men. Alcohol circulates on trays nonstop all night long and the skinny waitresses give their best not to spill the sacred fluid over the dance floor.

And like on cue I hear a crashing sound followed by a shattering of glasses. I peek from the lounge and see the same red-haired waitress from before. As it seems she was bumped by one of the dancers that was just getting off of the stage /yes, there's a stage in the club – deal with it/. Now the poor thing is covered in what seems like one of those non-alcoholic cocktails. A tall male from a nearby table that also got splashed, rises and starts yelling at her, pointing his finger threating at her.

I dash to her and grab her elbow, pulling her up and stabilising her frail form of her high heels. She is startled for a moment, words of gratitude and apologies ringing in my ears as I stare at the male in from of me. His tall frame hoovers over me, his eyes blazing from anger and amusement and his jaw clenched – a human copy of Eric! 'If his attitude is just as bad…'

"What 'cha want, miss? Get outta my way! The little slut and I have business to discuss. "

'Nah… Erik's not that bad.' I conclude and shake my head.

"It was an accident so let it go. I'll pay for the drinks if that's your problem." I state as I peek at the lounge only to see that my brother has returned… with two more ladies accompanying him.

"Nah-ah!" he starts arguing but one of his friends stops him and pulls him aside, whispering something in his ears. I don't mind being amazed by their stupidity so I restrain myself form eavesdropping. I nod towards the redhead and motion her to continue her work.

The male, Josh if I heard right, steps away from his friend and looks at me once more with mischief glittering in his eyes , that makes me glare at him threating.

"So?" I ask, crossing my hands under my chest.

Josh only smirks and starts walking towards me with what's supposed to be, predator-sexy steps. Well, he stumbles a few times and almost falls to his knees once but still reaches me and looks me head to toe. Bending slightly he whispers what he and his friend came up with. Only thanks to my sensitive hearing and the fact that I could read lips I manage to understand what he wants.

"Like hell!" I hiss and step away, feeling gross and tarnished already.

"C'mmon blondy! I woul yike wit…" he slurs as he tries to grab a hold of my arm.

Instead of letting him touch me I hit him in the stomach and he bends down so that we can be on eye level. Starring in his eyes I compel him.

"You will leave this place right now."

"I'll leave this place right now." He repeats after me like a robot.

"Nothing bad happened. You got drunk, had fun, played around with girls." He repeats it after me once more. "Moreover you were so drunk that you left the beautiful red-haired waitress a really generous tip. But you don't mind. She was worth it."

After he repeats that slowly and nods I look for a moment at his friends who are staring at us.

"Now you and your friends will leave, ok? And you didn't see me."

"Yes…" and like that I step away, breaking the connection.

Josh shakes his head, looking dizzy, dazzled and disorientated. He stares at me for a second and turns around to his friends without saying a word.

As I return to the table I can't help but notice that my brother is yet again absent. Sitting on the chair I glance at the blonde in front of me.

"Do you have any idea where Jason may be?"

My politeness seems to only provoke the others as the brunette next to her hisses at me:

"Nowhere near you, bitch. So why don't you fuck off and let the matured ladies take good care of him?"

For a moment I contemplate whether to snap her neck or ignore her.

"Now, now, Sonja. I wouldn't use such tongue on her. My sister is really short-tempered. " a masculine voice comes from behind me.

I turn around and spot my brother, leaning on the back of my chair. His skin is paler, almost greyish, his eyes are no longer baby blue but rather grey, the dark circles making them pop out. His hair is as messy as always but its shines and healthiness are missing. Sitting across of me, Jason grabs the blonde's wrist and bites into it. The girl only moans and throws her head back dramatically. Usually such an act would have made me roll my eyes but this time I watch closely. Couple of minutes pass until he releases the girl's hand, her pulse almost non-existent, and her frail body slumps to one side, almost bringing to whole table along with it. Yet her current state doesn't bother me one bit. My eyes are locked on my brother. Usually when we feed right from the vein we become more… alive if you wish – our hair gets fairer, our skin – more 'human-looking' and our eyes-colour becomes denser. However my sibling doesn't change. Just the opposite – he looks even worse.

"By the pitiful look on your pretty face I'm guessing you don't like what you see." The mock in his voice makes my heart ache.

"We need to talk."

"We talked. And you left." He states while bringing the brunette's neck to his mouth.

His sharp fangs pierce the delicate skin and the blood starts flowing in his mouth. 'He's killing the pain…' I realise as I observe as Jason drains the girl to the point where she'd die.

"You'll kill her." A faint touch of anger and warning is heard in my voice.

"Oh.. so you care about a mere human's life but not your brothers!" he hisses at me.

"Jase, don't!" but I'm too late. He snaps her neck like a stick and throws here limp body aside, her bushy hair hiding her neck.

"Opss…." He murmurs and waves at the third girl, a blonde, to come closer.

This time I rise, using my vamp speed and stand before the girl, compelling her to leave. Without a second glance or a spoken word she leaves our table and disappears in the crowd of dancing people.

"Oh, so now you have decided to spoil my last remaining hours with your tedious presence!"

"We really need to talk, Jase. I know what I did was wrong¬"

"Wrong! You left me behind! Ran away like a little childe! Like you always do!" he is yelling at me now and I realise that we will go nowhere if he doesn't calm down.

So without bathing an eyelash I grab him by the elbow and dash out of the club and as far away from people as possible. The quietest place that I manage to spot is a park not far away, deserted and human-free. 'Perfect!'

I push Jason on one of the benches and he slumps down, his body barely managing to rise up. I immediately regret my harshness and help him up. He yanks his hand away from me and tries to sit up himself. Yet again my heart clenches painfully as I realise that my selfishness pushed my brother the wrong path.

I sit on the bench, leaving enough space between us if he wishes to move away. He doesn't and I assume that he'll at least hear what I have to say.

"I won't babble or try to excuse my reactions and choices but will cut straight to the point – I want to look at you and see what the cause of your…illness is."

"I'm no longer a toddler, Sook. Call the things with their real names and don't try to give me some hope. I know I will die. I have known it for some time now."

I stay silent for a moment, the feeling of treason suffocating me.

"Sook…" a sudden pain makes him stop and I feel helpless.

After a few long seconds his blue eyes look at me once again and I see the fear that lurks in them.

"Let me at least try, I owe you at least that." I beg him.

"Do as you wish. Either way I'll die soon."

I sigh and turn him towards me. His eyes are dull and his gaze is unfocused. I touch his temples and try to concentrate. At first nothing happens due to the fact that I'm too concerned to let the connection form but as I start calming down a spark breaks the darkness. It comes nearer and nearer until I can see it clearly. Jason's soul is a mix of colour – from pink to red but now I see more blues, blacks and faint sparks of orange than usually. In simple words – only bad stuff. As I look deeper I do not find any signs of illnesses, mental or physical; there are no poison marks or evil eyes. As whole, despite the bad colour scheme, his soul is perfectly fine. 'Then why is he dying?' I wonder as I break the connection and open my eyes.

The moment I look at my brother is the moment I realise that his death is lurking right behind the corner. His eyes are so pale that resemble a blind man's irises, his skin is unhealthy yellow and there are bleeds coming from the corners of his eyes and mouth. For a second I don't know what to do with his numb body and the panic start overtaking me.

Yet I grab him by the arms and throw him over my shoulder. Making sure he won't fall while I run, I dash into the night.

The only place where I can go is the nest. Even though I wish to stay away from Godric for now, this time Jason's needs are more important than mine. Running into the house and in the living room I find Godric, Stan and Isabel chatting on the coach. After they shake off the surprise they all stand up and near me.

"He needs help." I plea Godric.

His face shows concern and worry but they are not directed towards me, but rather my brother.

"What's wrong with him?" Isabel asks as Stan and I lay Jason on the couch.

"He's dying and I don't know what the cause is." Despite that fact that I'm scared out of my mind my voice doesn't change much.

"Did you…?" asks Godric and I only nod.

"There's nothing wrong. I found nothing that may have caused this, only the side effects."

"Sheriff?" Stan and Isabel look at Godric. For a second I wonder why then I remember that without his permission my brother will die. And having the fact that our last meeting ended pretty bad I only hope that he will act as a vampire Sheriff and not a male, whose ego got stabbed by a woman.

"Please." I plea once again, looking at Godric.

His blue orbs, despite everything, are still emotionless. The very thought itself that he may turn his back on my brother and let him die so to teach me a lesson breaks me piece by piece.

A sudden cough and a new set of blood return my attention to my brother. His skin has gotten even paler, his eyes still open, are staring at the nothingness. In that very moment I know that he won't live to see another night. Not if I don't do something.

"Isabel call Doctor Ludwig. Tell her it's urgent and her presence is required immediately. " commands Godric as he stands next to me.

"Stan, go find Ian and tell him his son needs him." With that both vampires are gone.

The brunet kneels next to me and helps me wipe the blood out of my brother's face. For a few seconds we stay in silence and I wrack my brain for any clues on how to cure Jason. The sudden disappearance of Godric almost stays unnoticed by me but before I can even question it he is back with a blood-bag in his hand a narrow rubber tube. Opening the bag just enough so that the tube can fit he pushes one end in the substance and the other he gives to me. Without even asking I bend down and bite my brother lightly. His protest is so low I almost miss it. Not wasting time I push the other end of the tube in the open vein and the blood from the bag starts flowing into my brother.

"You know neither this, nor Doctor Ludwig will help, right?" I ask in a quiet tone without even looking at him.

"At least it will slow the process of decomposing down until the Doctor arrives." His calm voice once again manages to calm me down a little.

"And yet…" I begin but can't find the words or the strength to continue.

"He'll live, Sookie. You have my word that your brother won't die tonight!" his promise finally gives me the courage to look him in the eyes.

They are calm and concerned. His hand suddenly ends up over mine and he squeezes me encouragingly. I manage to fake a small smile but soon after it vanish as a new series of coughs and bleeds takes over my brother's stiff form.

"I don't know what I'll do if he dies… I'll never forgive myself… " I whisper as I feel my throat tightening painfully, my eyes watering.

"I told you he will be fine. Doctor Ludwig-" he begins but I rudely interrupt him.

"She won't help!" I cry out as I keep on cleaning by brother from the blood. "She can't help…" I say again, desperation falling over me.

Godric keeps silent, probably having reached the same conclusion already. With trembling hands I push a strand of hair behind my ear and freeze. My finger gently grazes over the earring I have on my cartilage; the little golden ring is quite simple… if you don't take into consideration the little petal that hangs on it. 'Petal… Flowers…. !' at the sudden realisation I jump on my feet, almost pushing Godric in the proses.

"What's wrong?" by his worried tone I'm guessing my reaction was a little bit… hysteric.

"I think I know someone who can help." I say, almost shaking with anticipation, a rush of adrenalin coursing through my veins.

"You do? Who?" I

"I met her while I was gone! She's a descendant of the Soul Lighters. She may be able to help."

"A Soul Lighter? Impossible! They were killed…." He stops suddenly.

I look at him, waiting to hear the rest of the sentence. He only smirks my way and sigh.

"What?" I ask.

"Never mind. If you think this woman, whoever she is, can help then call her."

"Well… I know a faster way.. " I say and smirk. Godric only raises an eyebrow.

"Should I be worried?"

"No. I'll be back soon. Make sure my brother stays alive till then. "I order. "Sorry, I didn't mean to order you around just-"

"I know. Go already." He rushes me.

I step away a few steps and close my eyes. As I concentrate I picture the flower shop in Kahului, Akala and the various flowers she showed me. A sudden stiffening of the air and a slight disorientation tell me that I have arrived.

And true to my senses I'm right in front of the little corner shop. The sun is just setting and a colourful palette of orange, pink and red washes over the plain buildings. Yet I don't stop to stare but rather rush into the shop, making the doorbell fly away, hitting the floor loudly.

"Whose there!?" a scared and panicked Akala yells from behind the counter.

I rush to her and gently grab her wrists.

"It's me – Sookie. I came to your shop a while ago. Do you remember me?" I ask in a rush while pulling her light body up.

"Ah, yes. Sorry. You just burst in and I thought-"

"I'm sorry but I'm in a hurry and I need your help." I interrupt her while taking a step back so that she won't get scared.

"Sure. What can I do for you?" her sweet smile makes me smile as well.

"My brother's dying. I can't figure out what's wrong and I guessed, since you are a Soul Lighter that you may be able to help."

As the words leave my mouth so does her smile. Suddenly she becomes paler and her expression – worried and scared.

"I won't hurt you, Akala. But I need your help. Please." I beg her.

"You know that even if I'm a descendant of the Soul Lighters, and that's one major _if_, the possibility of me curing him is almost non-existent, right?" she says, her voice insecure and scared.

"I know. But I'm desperate and don't know what else to do. Please Akala. Please. At least try." I keep on begging her as I feel that my brother's time is ticking away.

After a few pregnant seconds of silence she finally nods and asks me to tell her some of the symptoms while she gathers, completely random if you ask me, stuff. I tell her everything I know, from the colour of his skin to the shades of his soul. She doesn't seem surprised that I can also see souls and I take note to ask her later about it. After no more than 10 minutes she is ready and we lock the store.

"So, how are we supposed to get there on time?" she wonders as she throws her keys in her backpack.

"That's a little bit tricky, but don't worry. Just…. Just have some faith, ok?" I say as I near her.

Sensing my proximity she steps away into a defensive position, her head tilted to one side, as if waiting for a sudden attack.

"Just trust me on this one, ok?" I whisper as I take her hands in mine and pull her closer to me.

Due to the height difference I'm a head taller than her, so I embrace her protectively as she lays her head on my chest.

"It's all going to be alright. Just breathe and stay calm." I reassure her.

"Is it going to hurt?" she mumbled in my jacket.

"No. you'll feel a little bit dizzied and disorientated but that's all." I inform her and concentrate.

We are hiding behind the building next to the shop so that nobody would see us magically disappearing. The noise of the people going home from work somehow manages to distract me and I curse under my breath.

"What's wrong?"

"I cannot concentrate." I hiss.

"Listen to my heartbeat." Akala suggests.

"What?"

"I have heard somewhere that when listing to someone's heartbeat people fall into slumber, it's like a lullaby. It should help you concentrate better."

I nod and listen. Shutting off sound after sound until the only thing that I hear is Akala's heart. It pumps blood rhythmically through her whole body and, true to her words, I feel dizzying away.

The next thing I know the world has spun ones again and I'm back in Godric's leaving room. With a very dizzy Akala in my arms.

It takes no more than a few minutes for her to regain her balance and sense for direction. In that time I find out that my brother's state has become even worse.

"Is that him?" I sudden voice from behind me reminds me that we are not alone.

Both Godric and I turn around to see that Akala is standing only a step away from us, staring at the space above the couch.

"Yes." I reply as I stand up and lead her to my spot where she knees next to Godric.

It seems that she senses his presence as her head tilt so his side, as if someone is whispering in her ear. He only looks at her calmly and stands up. His sudden movement scares her as she leans to the other side, as if to escape.

"Do not fear me, young one. I shall not harm you. Are you are safe here." With that he steps away which seems to make her relax a little bit.

As we both step away I notice that Akala's hands hover over my brother's chest, with a faint glow around them.

"Do you…?" I whisper.

"Yes. She really is a descendant of the Soul Lighters… Just like you."

I snap my head towards him, fear and fright in my eyes, as he has again found out something about me.

"How did you..?"

"It doesn't matter. What matters now is your brother's recovery. Everything else is only mere details for now."

"I can't keep a secret from you, can't I?"

"No, you can't." his reply is serious and I turn my head away, observing what Akala's doing. "Yet you are allowed to have things you do not wish to share with others. It's your birth given right and I won't be the one to take it away from you." He adds.

"Yet you keep on digging." I state.

"Yes, I do. And I'm sorry if that offends you in any way." His words are sincere, I can tell.

"I guess after being the demanding, cold-hearted bitch I deserve to be scrutinized just for the fun of it, if not something else." I say without looking at him.

Before he can say something Akala asks for me to come and help her. I knee next to her and start doing whatever she demands – from handing her herbs to changing towels, soaked with blood. After what seems like hours she finally stretches her back, which cracks unpleasantly. I stand up and dust myself off then help her up and we turn around. I see that Godric and Ian are sitting on the couch, not letting us out of their sight, Stan and Isabel are sitting on the other couch, also staring at us, and there's Doctor Ludwig who doesn't give a fuck as she reads a book in one of the armchairs.

"So?" asks Ian as he rises to his feet and comes closer.

His movement makes Akala anxious and she takes a step back, hiding behind me. I smirk at her choice. If she only knew what I was like when younger she wouldn't be so friendly with me. Then again she probably knows.

"He's cured of whatever had poisoned him." I state and crack my neck.

"Actually he wasn't poisoned but rather bitten." Adds Akala.

"Bitten? By what?" asks Isabel as she looks worriedly at Stan. "If something so dangerous lives here we should take immediate measures. Or it can infect all of us."

"Oh, don't worry. The _Apis dorsata_ doesn't live here and the one that stung the boy is surely dead already. " informed us Akala.

"_Apis dorsata_? What's that? And how do you know it is dead?" asks Stan who doesn't look even a bit convinced.

"That's a giant honey bee that inhabits southeaster Asia." I say.

"And after it stings someone is dies." Adds Godric. "I once read about them, but if I recall correctly their poison is not enough to knock down a vampire such as Jason. "

"The poison itself, no. But if mixed with something that weakens the organism of the victim, let's say melted silver, it can easy turn into a ticking bomb. The silver enters the bloodstream and destroys everything on its way, letting the poison do its magic." Akala explains.

"So you mean that this was done on purpose? Somebody wanted him dead?" Stan cocks his head to one side, clearly missing the point.

"She wanted him dead but without leaving a trace leading to her doorsteps. The bee seems the most logical choice. The wound is small and it would heal in more than a few seconds, locking the toxic substance in the body." I clarify.

"By the way you said that, childe, I believe you have someone in mind." Ian's hard tone tells me that we are on the same page here.

"Yes. I'm sure that the Queen did this on purpose." I admit openly.

"You know you can't just go there and blame her without any proof, right?" Stan hums, while playing with the belt of his jeans.

I only nod and look at my brother's sleeping form.

"I have proof that even the Magister will accept." I confess and turn my attention back to the others.

They are all shocked and surprised. I pat Akala on the back and she gulps.

"And you, my friend, will be so kind to help me destroy that evil carrot-haired bitch, right?" I lure her.

"I guess I don't have much of a choice, don't I? " she sighs and cracks her neck again.

"I don't mean to be rude but yes, you don't have that much of a choice. But since the sun will rise soon let's post-pone this for tomorrow evening. " I coo as I shake her hand encouragingly.

"Once we are done you will be free to go back home." Says Ian. "And I'll be forever in your depth for saving my son, Miss Akala."

"Oh, don't mention it." She blushes and hides behind me once again.

"I'm sure we all need some rest. Let me escort you to your room, Miss Akala. " Offers Isabel as she stands up gracefully and near us. "And maybe a massage will help you relax more?" she adds and I believe that wins Akala over. The petit woman nods and they both leave the room.

Soon after Stan follows them, and after him Ian leaves me and Godric alone. I feel exhausted, emotionally and physically, and really lack to strength to tell him something more than a 'goodnight'.

"Sookie, wait!" he suddenly stops me.

I turn around only to find him a millimetre away from me. Our lips are almost touching and I feel the urge to tilt my head just a little bit but instead of that I rest my forehead on his. We close our eyes and just stand there in silence.

"I'm sorry." I murmur.

"For what?"

"For wanting to change you. It's not right and I'm the last person in this world who should have the right to do so. So I ask you for your forgiveness."

"You have done nothing wrong, Sookie."


	8. Trust me!

By the time I finally reach my bed the sun raises and I decide, having nothing better to do, to watch. It is magnificent scenery. At first in the very east end of the welkin the inky coloured canvas starts fading into softer shades of blue. And like a plague the bluish shades spread deeper and deeper; before even reaching the middle of the sky the eastern ends start turning orange, then purple, then red and all those colours mend together in a perfect symphony. With every passing second the night's background is fading, backing away to the west, seeking to stay a little bit more. I gaze at this magic that does not cease to amaze me, with awe and wanting. The stars, one by one, vanish, leaving behind their sister – the daystar and their mother – the ivory Moon to watch as the sun appears on the horizon, waking the humans up and lulling the creatures of the night. I watch as much as I can but soon the morning sickness sends me back to my room.

As usually I am tossing in bed, wriggling and writhing, trying to fight over the pain. After half an hour it disappears and I'm finally able to stand up.

Now I'm in front of my brother's bed, watching him sleep peacefully, his appearance having greatly improved since the last time I saw him. His form is cuddled like the one of a little childe; and as I observe him I find no sign of any remaining side-effects. Deciding against lying next to him and drifting away I exit his room and close the door soundlessly. I then visit Akala's. And just like my brother I find her cuddled in the bed, sleeping soundlessly. A light veil of tiffany blue sparkling dust mixed with pearly white little dots surrounding her, lulling her and showing me, the observer, what kind of a person she really is. Because, after all, that's the main purpose of my 'gift' – to see the true identity of people and to protect myself from harm. Suddenly the blonde's body twitches and she opens her eyes for a second, glancing at me. I halfway expect her to scream and ask me what the hell I am doing in her room. But she doesn't even indicate that she noticed me. And then I remember – she can't. I lower my head, in shame and sorrow, and without looking at her sleeping form, exit the room.

I gallivant down the long corridor as I wonder what to do next. Sleep is still nowhere near me and I do not wish to waste my time in lying around, doing nothing. 'Not to mention I must form some kind of a vengeance plan… hah… so much work to do.' I tell myself as I stop in the middle of the hallway. Looking to my left I spot the beige door, leading to Godric's room. For a second I debate whether to enter and lie next to him or continue down my path to the library. Eventually I decide it's not the best of time for a visit so I keep on walking. When I finally reach the library I feel somewhat disappointed with myself. Looking back in time I realize that the only thing I have brought this nest and its residents is a lot of troubles and worry.

Trusting my head I enter the huge library. It is so pitch black that I hardly see a few centimetres in front of me; so I search the wall for the switch. When I finally find it I hit it and blazing rays cut through the darkness. For a second I'm blinded from the brightness but soon my eyes adapt and I enter the room, closing the door behind me. The first thing that crosses my mind when I enter is 'Holy Mother of Books!'; everywhere I turn there are literally piles and piles of books: dusty volumes from both known and relatively unknown authors, books as small as my palm and other bigger than my head, tons and tons of dictionaries, many historical reports, different science books and many more.

"I believe I just found the Beast's real library. In your face Belle!" I grin as I near the first bookshelf.

All shelves in here reach the ceiling and are arrange in a few perfectly straight lines; the walls are also covered in books; here and there are huge piles of the books that have been read recently.

After a close examination I realise that even in a lifetime I won't be able to look through all the books in here. 'Well, I have nothing better to do anyway!' I tell myself as I reach for the first book.

After number 858 I finally find something helpful. It's a dog-eared paperback book that, left unnoticed by my ignorant glare, was hiding between Mark Twain's_ Tom Sawyer_ and a Chinese military book called _The Art of War_. 'Well that's ironic…'

The little book has the flamboyant title _Kukci _which actually is the Croatian for 'insects', and despite its small size it has plenty of helpful stuff in it. For example in this book, after I decide to randomly open a page, I come upon a really interesting insect. I bet you can guess – the beautiful yet dangerous _Apis dorsata_, the giant honey bee. There is a sketch of her and quite a bit of information. In that moment I know fate is moving my hand. Or karma. Or whatever you like to call that High power that likes to fuck with us.

"Well what do we have here?" I whisper as the next page I turn to is covered in little drawings of a harmless-looking butterfly. In tiny little letters the words _**Highly deadly, dangerous and aggressive! **_are written in the bottom right corner. I raise my eyebrow and turn to the next page. To my relief I find a long paragraph which, after close reading, tells me pretty much everything I want to know.

The little creature is known as _Funesti pulchritudine_ , which from Latin means deadly beauty. 'How appropriate…' I laugh inwardly.

An hour or so later I'm still reading and taking notes, finally having a plan formed in my head. In the middle of my fierce writing though someone clears their throat. My head snaps and I stare at the lean body resting on one of the huge wooden shelves. '_Godric_…' even thinking his name makes my insides curl up and twitch, that soft spot between my legs 'activating' immediately.

"How long have you been here?" his calm voice rings through the silent library.

"I dunno. What time is it?" I return my gaze back to my book with difficulty.

"The sun will rise in less than an hour."

"Hm. Well I was busy. Still am, by the way."

With the corner of my eye I see him tilt his head to the side, raising an eyebrow my way. His posture suddenly stiffens and I look up.

"What's wrong?"

"Erik seeks to see us. Your friend is awake." His head is still tilted to the side, as if listening to a faint whisper.

I only nod and close the book and the notebook, deciding to take them along.

"I'm assuming it has something to do with the sweat vengeance?" I ask.

Godric only looks at me for a second and smirks.

"As sharp as always." He comments.

"Are you mocking me?" the offensive note in my voice startles him and his mood changes immediately.

"I did not mean to offend you."

"I know." I wink at him and smirk.

He only rolls his eyes and walks away. I follow close behind. We stop by Akala's room only to find her still sleeping. I wake her up and tell her that we have to go. Sending the Sheriff away I help her get ready and then lead her down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Three pairs of eyes look at us when we enter and Isabel stands up and nears us. I expect Akala to hide behind my back once again but she amazes me by doing exactly the opposite – she steps ahead and smiles warmly, greeting them.

"And since when did you become so brave?" I smile at her as she follows Isabel to the counter where a cup of still hot coffee, a sandwich and an apple await her.

"Since I started looking at the ones that are around me more closely." She replies as a matter-of-fact.

I chuckle and nod towards Godric. He nods back and I leave in a blur. When I reach my room I go immediately in the bathroom where I take a quick shower, comb my hair and look myself in the mirror. 'Still here.' I smile at my reflexion. It takes me a few seconds to get dressed and throw a few things in my leather backpack. After making sure I have everything that may be needed I leave the room and return to the kitchen. Akala's still eating and laughing at something Stan said. I smile. Everything looks so… normal. Suddenly two strong arms wrap themselves around me and pull me up, making me yelp out loud, and spin me around a few times. A symphony of laughter fills the room as my brother sets me down and hugs me from behind. I take his hands into mine and push myself towards his chest, as I lay my head on his shoulder. His throaty laugh makes his whole body shake. I smile whole-heartedly.

"Moron." I murmur, turning around and wrapping my slim arms around Jason's neck and bring him into another bear hug.

"Aha! Someone missed me!" his deep voice rumbles through his chest.

"Me? There's no such thing, brother." I say monotony but the goofy smile is still present.

He pinches my arm and I step away, punching him in return. The tranquillity that settles in the room brings a sudden feeling of happiness and peace in me.

"Shall me leave?" asks Isabel.

And just like that the moment passes away and the stillness and anxiety returns. I nod and gaze at Godric for a second. And just in time to see the slight smile leaving his face and the stoic mask returning, hardening his features, making him look older. My heart clenches painfully but I swallow the lump in my throat and head towards the door.

"So do we have a plan?" asks Akala when we enter the SUV and Stan fires the engine.

She is sitting in the back between Godric and Isabel, her small form dressed in bright yellow top and green jeans contrasting strongly to the black leather clothes of the second-in-command and the usual khaki pants and linen blouse worn by the Sheriff. I smirk as I see her pouting at me and tilting her head to one side.

"Let's say I have …. Something in mind."

"I don't like what I see." She hums and crosses her arms under her chest.

After that statement silence settles in and nobody dares to disturb it until we finally reach the little blue house.

Upon entering in the cosy living room a dagger almost ends up in my chest but I manage to catch it in mid-air.

"Seriously? Is this the way you repay my kind gesture?" I hiss and throw the weapon back at her.

As usual Sable stops it with only two fingers and puts it back on the little wooden table next to her as she takes a sip of her blood, glaring at me from the corner of her glass. Erik, on the other hand, rises and comes near us, bowing his head respectively towards Godric. The brunet gives him a warm smile and looks at me. I try to smile but I know I'm failing. So I look back at Sable, who is now finally up, and near her. The silence that suddenly settles in the room is so uncomfortable, awkward and suffocating that I find it hard to not move my gaze away. Sable's bright red eyes are staring right at me, the fire in them burning through my soul like a thin paper. I'm aware that she is probably blaming me for everything that has happened and I know that I deserve it but still I hope she will forgive me.

"I really hope you have something nasty frying in your pan for that ginger-haired whore of a bitch. " grumbles the French, "Pardon my language, Sheriff." She adds almost immediately, nodding towards Godric.

After the usual pleasantries we finally sit down and start discussing the plan. Yet Godric, as a Sheriff, can't take any part in this so he leaves under the pretext that he seeks to find my maker. Soon after his departure Jason stops by and sits with us.

"So? What's the plan?" impatiently asks Stan.

"Pretty simple, actually. We will give Sophie-Anne a taste of her own medicine. And by 'we' I mean me. With a slight help from Akala here." I announce.

They all tense up and then a 3-minute arguing of how I'm not supposed to do everything alone and how I'll get caught and killed and etc. follows, basically foreseeing all the possible ways the mission can fail. I roll my eyes and shake my head.

"I can handle it. Now I'm capable of fulfilling the plan without any errors. I'll make sure there are no trails leading to any of you. " I assure them.

"That's not the problem, Sook! Even if you make it through unnoticed and all, your transformation… it will…." He stops, at a loss of words.

"Whaa? " Stan and Isabel look at each other, obviously having no clue what he is talking about.

"So it's not permanent after all?" asks Akala.

I sigh and look out of the window. A sudden melancholy takes over me, but I wave it off almost immediately. It's really sad how I spend over 24 hours re-dying over and over again in an icy cold water only to give it all up because of a sadistic and selfish Queen. A rush of hatred swims through my system but I know better than to let my emotions lead me.

"After I'm finished with her I'll have strength for only one more teleportation. After that I'll be the way I was before – only halfway dead."

"You can't!" argues Isabel, who seems to have grown attached to me.

"No need to worry yourself, Isy. One way or another it would have worn off eventually. And having in mind my encounters with the sun lately, I'd have been sooner rather than later." I smile at her encouragingly and sit back down near the table where the dagger lies.

"So what will we do exactly?" wonders Akala.

"I came up with the idea by chance, thanks to this book." I say as I lay the old little book on the table.

They all stare at it as if it's either about to burst into flames or tell them the secret of the universe.

"Mind if you tell me what's happening?" irritation swirls in the Soul Lighter's voice and I can't help but chuckle.

"I found a book called _Kukci _in the library today. It has some pretty helpful stuff in it. A certain butterfly that may come in handy this evening."

Akala only tilts her head, her blonde braid falling to one side, a frown gracing her face for a moment.

"A butterfly you say? What is it called?"

Isabel takes the book and opens the page where I have marked the information needed.

"Uhm… Funesti pulchritudine ? My Latin was never good but doesn't this mean a beautiful killer?"

"Deadly beauty." Corrects her Akala, grim expression on her face.

"What's wrong?" Sable's impatience is clear in her voice and I glare at her warningly.

"This creature is highly poisonous."

"So? It can't probably harm us." snarls Erik.

"Actually, Mr Northman, it can." She almost barks at him and I look at her, amazed by her behaviour.

"What's the matter, Akala?" I ask her, my honey eyes not even for a second letting her out of my sight.

She suddenly shifts uncomfortably and starts looking at every direction. Her form starts trembling, her shoulders stiffening and her eyebrows knit. She wraps her arms around herself protectively and I hear her heartbeat quickening. As I stand up I notice that the others are tense as well. 'What's gotten into them?' I wonder.

"Well, what do we have here? A conspiracy against Sophie-Anne?" the mocking voice on Luke makes my whole body freeze.

A soft breeze passes near me and suddenly Akala's gone. I look up and see His Majesty holding her by the throat, squeezing the air out of her lungs. She tries to fight him off but he grips her even tighter and croaking sounds leave her mouth.

"Stop it! You'll kill her!" I yell at him, taking a step closer.

"Nah,ah,ah!" he shakes his head and his long black hair sways around him, "If I were you, Miss Starcrom, I wouldn't do that. You see, missy here is quite the fragile little thing. It won't take much for me to snap her like a twig." And as if to show that he's serious he adds even more pressure on her throat.

As I see Akala suffocating, dying, scared out of her mind, and crying I feel a wave of rage wash over me. I remember clearly the last time I wanted to hit somebody as hard as I want now; and as Godric's nowhere near I may as well do it.

"We were just talking. You can't enter and act as if you own the fucking place!" hisses Sable, not paying attention to Erik, who tries to warn her to keep her mouth shut.

"If it's not the freak of nature. Even without fangs you are a hard-mouthed bitch." Mocks Luke as he glares at the brunette. For a second I wonder what will my 'guardian' do but soon enough I figure it out.

"Not this time, Sable." I stop her. She stares at me, as if to tell me to shut up and let her do her thing. I shake my head. "Last time you interfered they almost killed you. I won't make the same mistake twice."

'Now or never.' I tell myself and try to make my body look relaxed.

"I'm the one you came here for, right, Your Majesty?" I ask politely.

His curt nod and glaring gaze almost make me roll my eyes. Almost.

"Then shall we? Let my friend go, as she did nothing wrong, and I'll accompany you wherever you wish to go."

He lets her go with a snarl and Akala stumbles blindly away from him. Isabel rushes to her and hugs her, pulling her at the same time away from Luke. I gesture for him to move first but his doubtful eyes tell me he won't fall for that… again. I nod and leave the room, not even sparing my friends a second glance.

The talk Luke and I had is relatively short due to the fact that we weren't doing anything wrong. He left with unspoken promises of bloody rivers and many corpses if I decide to play smart. Most of the time I stayed silent and that seemed to ease him, probably reassuring him his message was clear, so he vanished with satisfaction written all over his face not too long after we went outside .

I return to Sable's house only to find Godric so angry and dissatisfied that for a second I wonder if it will be better if I leave before he notices me. Before I manage to even move a muscle he spots me and almost glares at me. I can feel the bitchiness in me waking up, ready to give him a piece of my mind, but I decide against it and instead bow my head respectively.

Both Jason and Ian come rushing to me, looking as if I'm missing a limb or something. I raise an eyebrow their way but even before I can question them, Jase pulls me in a vice grip and squeezes the life out of me.

"God, I was so worried. I swear if that bastard touched you I'll rip him apart." My brother's voice is filled with relief and anger at the same time. I smile. Such an emotion mixer!

"I'm fine, brother. No need to worry. We just had a little chat with his Majesty." I reassure him, and everybody else, in that matter.

"Did he suspect something?" asks Stan, which results in Isabel hitting him behind the neck, scolding his lack of manners.

"Jee, thanks for asking! I'm perfectly fine!" I roll my eyes and step away. I feel as if they are suffocating me.

"What's wrong, Sookie?" asks Akala, her pale eyes staring at me intensively. I know she is watching me emotional palette and probably sees all the worry and anger.

I shake my head and force a smile on my face.

"It's fine. We are all clear. He has nothing. But we'll have to come up with something else."

"Like what?" Ian's low voice sounds tired and pissed at the same time. 'Well at least I know from whom Jason took that bad habit.' I smirk.

"No need to worry, Father. I'm working on it. Rest tonight. Tomorrow we'll see it through." I say and turn around to leave.

"Sookie." The staleness in Godric's voice makes me freeze on the spot. "May we have a word? Alone."

Despite the fact that he asks I know I don't have a say. So I turn towards him and bow my head, leaving after him. We enter a dark room in the end of the corridor. The air is clogged with staleness and dust, so I involuntarily sneeze after I close the door behind me.

"Bless you." Whispers the brunet a second before the lights brighten up the room, revealing many shelves filled with books.

I don't have time to look closely at some of the volumes as the Sheriff walks towards the wooden desk in the other end. He stops in front of it, turns towards me and leans slowly on the edge. His posture radiates anxiety, worry, anger and most of all - lust. I tremble with desire. I didn't realise how much I want him until we are finally here, alone, and yet i don't dare near him.

"What really happened?" his raw voice splits the silence and I almost jump.

"Like I said he doesn't sus¬" I begin but a sudden cracking sound stops me.

For a second I can't find the source of it but when my gaze lands on the desk I see that it's covered in cracks, at the verge of breaking apart. I notice the vice grip he has over the poor furniture and I take a step back. 'Someone is really pissed.'

"What did he tell you!" he is almost hissing at me, his usually clear blue-grayish eyes now stormy and dark. I gulp.

"Nothing." I reply cautiously.

Another cracking sound follows and I know he's having none of it. Restraining myself from pouting and rolling my eyes I look away, biting my lower lip.

"I'm a patient man, Sookie, but even my patience is running low tonight. Tell me truth." His dangerously low voice makes a very special spot in me burst into flames, a wanting wetness damping my lower parts. I know that if I could, I'd have blushed tomato-red by now.

"He knows we are planning something. He'll keep a close eye." I whisper while looking at a book in the furthest end of the room. I can see its headline. _Wuthering Heights. _'How ironic.'

"And?" his impatience makes me chew my lip even more eagerly.

"He … he told me that there's something I can do so that he would…. Let us do what we have in mind." I utter, shame and lust mixing up and building in my body.

"And what's that?" his almost hissed question makes me even more aroused.

"He… he…. " I can't find the strength to finish, nor to look at Godric so I just stare at the book.

"He what!?" I squirm by the danger in his voice. I gulp again and a sore smile creeps on my face.

Turning my face back towards the Sheriff I say out loud what Luke told me only half an hour ago.

"He wants me in his bed for as long as I can keep up." my emotionless confession doesn't receive any kind of reaction from the brunet for what seems like an eternity.

The silence in the room stretches for too long, yet I don't look away. Seconds pass, even hours maybe. Until a loud cracking sounds rends the silence and the desks splits apart, right in the middle. My eyes widen for a second before I close them so to take a hold over my uprising emotions. When I open them a second later I find Godric clenching the wood like his life depends on it.

"Godric." His name leaves my lips as if it's a prayer.

His lids flutter open and he looks at me. In those blazing orbs I see emotions clashing, destroying one another, and literally killing him from inside. I know that my next sentence will be the last drop in his glass but I know I have to tell him. Taking a deep breath I try to relax myself and steady my voice.

"I'll do whatever it takes, even bed him, if I can see the Queen dead." The fierceness in my own words startles me but I know I'll do it. No matter what.

"No you won't." he hisses at me, his gaze hard. 'Not the only thing hard in him.' I try to stop myself from looking and almost fail.

"I'm not a child. I can take good care of myself. And if sleeping with that gnathic son of a bitch is the prise I have to pay so to see Sophie-Anne dead, then be it! You can't stop me. " by the time I realise that I actually said the last sentence out loud it's too late to take it back.

Godric has me pinned to one of the shelves with such force that it actually hurts a little. I hiss out of pain and… pleasure. I find myself actually liking it rough. Because after all that's the real him. Under his many masks lies a beast that wants to mark what's his, to ravage, to pillage women out of their rightful minds, to own, to fuck, to kill. My breathing quickens, my blood thickens with wanting, my core aches for his touch and I find myself so horny that even the simplest of thoughts have left me.

Without even uttering a word Godric's lips clash with mine, fighting for dominance. He's no longer gentle, but fierce and merciless, biting my bottom lip, and I just can't resist but grand him entrance. Our heated make-out ends up over the broken desk, as he literally pushes me over the hard wood, his body pinning mine hard, our lips not even for a second drifting apart. A sudden hardness between my legs lets me know that I'm not the only one who is impatient. I smirk at the thought of the all mighty Godric, Mr-I'm-in-control-of-my-emotions being so open and direct with his sexual desires. And as if he reads my thoughts he growls and bites my lower lip harshly. I moan loud as the pain shoots right between my tights making me even wetter, the metallic taste of my own blood making my body even more hot and needy. I hiss and he lets go, a sigh of relief skipping through my parted lips in the brief seconds of rest I have before Godric's clash with mine once more. He moves on after he's sure that my lips are swollen and bruised. Kissing and biting his way down my neck, between my collarbones, he soon enough reaches the décolletage of my T-shirt. At first I think he'll pull it off of me but the sudden ripping sound and the scaring of pieces of fabric a second later prove me wrong. Before I even manage to protest he starts biting my neck while his hands play with my breasts through the bra. I moan and hiss and even yelp as his sharp teeth almost break the gentle and thin skin on my neck. Only after his mouth travels lower, his hands pushing me down even harder and making my head and hair hung from the edge of what's left of the desk, it clicks that he just made me a couple of hickeys. 'Bastard!' I curse him. A sudden shot of pain makes me yell out loud and my body contacts, trying to protect itself.

"Stand still, little one." His masculine voice whispers in my ear, the mischief and lust radiating from every word.

His skilful hands roam all over my body, over the fresh bite-mark on the side of my stomach, and finally reach my jeans. With a few simple movements he undoes the bottoms and, stepping away for a moment, pulls them off my legs. I only manage to support myself on my elbows for a minute before he pushes me back, his hand travelling back down between my breast, not forgetting to give them a light squeeze, over my flat stomach and back up. I'm so intensely concentrate over his hand's movements up and down that sensitive mass of jelly I call body that when suddenly his tongue enters me I gasp. A loud and meowish moan fills the emptiness of the library as his quite skilled muscle starts moving up and down, leaving and re-entering my pussy, until I feel as if I'm about to blow up. My moans and groans are louder, coming in shorter periods, and I feel my release creeping behind the corner. Suddenly he removes himself from me and I groan, realizing that we are going to play the same old game. Gripping the edge with one hand and burying the fingers of the other one in his hair I both pull and crash. The desk splits apart while the brunet hisses and grips my hips, lifting me up a second before the wood collapses in a pile on the floor. I release his hair for a second and he uses that moment to pin me against one of the shelves, my back being painfully scratched by the covers of the volumes, some older than me.

"Ah!" I moan when he bites my neck playfully.

"What a bad girl you are, Mr Starcrom. Trying to push me over the edge, you little cunning fox, making me do your biding. " he hushes in my ear while shamelessly rubbing himself all over me.

I purr when his lips end up over mine, gentle and conquering. Pinning my hands above my head, Godric suddenly backs away and looks me right in the eyes. His are dark, full of lust and mischief, dangerous and tempting. I arch my body, trying to release my hands from his iron grip but I fail.

"Now, now, love. Patience." He purrs in my ear and I bite my bottom lip when his tongue licks the soft part of my ear. Out of nowhere his teeth end up around my cartilage earring and I hiss threating when he tries to bite me.

As a result of my action he ends up biting my neck, harshly and I moan. He doesn't break the skin, though. Just marks his territory. By the time he finally lets go I'm dripping wet and ready for him.

"You smell wonderful." He states as he sniffs me.

"Godric…" I plead as I move my hips against his.

Feeling his smirk against my skin I frown and decide it's time to give him a piece of my mind. It doesn't take much for one of my hands to slip through his grip and end up in his locks. Fisting his hair I pull, baring his neck before me. Acting faster than him I sink my teeth in his delicate skin, not breaking it, but leaving a nice red mark. He hisses and his body stiffens. The next thing I know he is pulling my blonde locks as well, ripping me from him and harshly swiping me around. Now my breasts are pressed against the books, my hands in a vice grip over my head once again, his hot and hard body pressed against mine, his hot breath tickling me.

"That was not very nice of you, little one." He whispers lowly, gripping my ass hard, "And definitely you'll get punished for your frivolous action."

Suddenly the pressure over me vanishes only to return a second later. Before I can even ask he ties my hands together, gets rid of my panties, ripping them away as well.

"Not even a sound." He warns me before stepping away.

A sudden soft touch makes me jump a little. I don't dare to turn and see what's touching my back but it soon disappears and Godric's lips take its place. He starts tracing the tattoo, his lips gently kissing and every now and then his tongue playfully touches my sensitive skin. With every passing second I feel my control slipping from my grasp and desire, yearning, primal need, takes over me. Yet I fight them all out of curiosity about what Godric will do. At first he makes me believe it will be slow and tempting and that somehow angers me but too soon he backs away and repeats his command once again. I only nod, believing that it won't be any different than the treatment I just received.

I yelp when suddenly the brunet's larger hand ends up harshly on my bum. My whole body jumps and pain courses through my system.

"What did I tell you about sounds?" he murmurs temptingly in my ear all the while his fingers dig in my hair. I hiss and try to free my body.

I have never been a soft one, living in the clouds. I rather like the rough sex but deep in me, as much as I want him to show me his true self, I'm afraid that after that he'll lock himself once again, leaving me broken… and alone. I shake my head and am about to tell him to let me go. Unexpectedly his hands end up on my shoulders and travel up, reaching my wrists and entangling our fingers.

"Trust me." He whispers in my hair.

My body obliges almost immediately, relaxing under his touch, but my mind is restless. His nose wanders over my neck and shoulder, returning to my hair.

"Please." And that word alone has me captive. All the emotions hidden behind it; the need to own, to conquer, to be yourself mixed with the fear of rejection, the insecurity. I tilt my head back, trying to take a glimpse of his eyes but he looks away.

"I trust you." I murmur.

It takes Godric a few seconds to assimilate it but soon he's back in his zone, his lips tracing my back for a few seconds. Then they disappear and he slaps me across the bum. I bite my lip, the burning pain turning into pleasure slowly. A few gentle strokes over my reddened lower parts and then another slap. I grip the edge on the shelf for support as he lays a few kisses over my lower back. A second passes and another slaps follows. With every passing one I find myself more and more aroused. By the time the tenth slap comes my wetness is so evident that I'm literally dripping on the wooden floor. My stilettos are the only thing that is still on me, even my elastic was taken away, and now I can feel the high and shard heels digging so deep in the floor that holes will be left once I move away.

After kissing my beaten ass Godric steps away and I feel tempted to follow him but I restrain myself from doing so. Only for a moment I want to collect my breath. I take slow gulps of oxygen, desperately trying to compose myself but I know I'm failing. My whole body starts shaking with need, with lust; I feel my fangs coming out of their gums. As much as I try I know I won't resist. 'Time to throw the manners out of the window… ' I muse before breaking the bondage over my arms. Pulling my heels out of their holes one after the other with a popping sound I massage my bruised wrists. Without even looking behind my back I know Godric is sitting on the couch in the other end of the room. I dash sideways, hiding from his view behind a shelf. I know his watchful, hawk-like, eyes are scanning the room for me, so I keep on hiding behind random stuff, not even a chat of a heel being heard. Sensing the tension and worry in his posture when he fails to spot me I jump from on top the shelf right in front of him, the heel of my right shoe digging in his crotch . Hiss low hiss makes me chuckle. I haven't made even the slightest of sound after ten slaps and he is hissing over a little pressure over his hard member. His dark orbs gaze at me, fogged by wild lust and I tilt my head to the side, blonde strands of hair scattering over my breasts. I dark smirk forms on my face and I bend over him, the heel digging ever so slow, deeper. His fangs are out as well, I notice, and tilt my head.

"You better fuck me hard, Sheriff, or I may end up ripping you into shreds." I whisper lowly.

Removing my heel from his crotch I straddle him, burring my fingers in his short hair, pulling it warningly.

"Oh, Sookie.." he moans silently before grabbing my hips.

Before I know it his pants vanish and in a single trust he's in me, filing me to the brim. I yell his name. I don't stop saying it, moaning it, whispering it, as he fucks the brains out of me. Fast. Strong. Animalistic. He shows no mercy, but neither do I. Soon enough I can feel my muscles contacting and I dig my nails into his back, drawing blood. I yell his name as I see starts exploding behind my closed lids and he hisses mine, gripping me close to him, as if I'll vanish. The last thing I remember before I pass out is his large body collapsing over me, our erratic breathing, and the way he hugs me, not crashing me or gripping me, but hugging me gently after sitting up a moment later. I fall asleep in his strong arms like a little girl.

"You are mine. And no one will have you." I hear him say confidently before it all disappears in a thick fog.


	9. Killing time!

I wake up in his arms. Pleasant coolness surrounds me, his strong arms are wrapped around me protectively and his bare chest in firmly pressed to my back, his breath tickling me. But, unfortunately, the sickness breaks through the bubble of the after-sex-morning and I feel like I'm about to vomit. Cautiously removing his hands from me, trying not to wake him up, I manage to free myself, get out of bed, and barely manage to throw one of his T-shirts on before my tummy starts contracting and I feel the leftovers of the food I had long ago coming back. Running to the bathroom I somehow manage to close the door quietly rather than banging it behind my back. In a second I'm kneeling in front of the toilet, getting rid of all the food I have in me, and just begging that Godric won't wake up. Having in mind that the sun had raised at least four hours ago, I'm almost certain that even the brunet's age won't help him awake this early. However a second later I feel somebody pulling the hair out of my face, a soothing pat over my back indicating that I am no longer alone. Even though I try to stop the flow of leftovers leaving my mouth I can't. So, ashamed to the bottom of my soul, I keep on vomiting until there's nothing left. Tears are rolling down my cheeks as I wipe my mouth, my hands shaking. Godric caresses my hair softly, gently and picks me up by the elbows. My legs are weak so when he releases me I stumble to the side and start falling down. He catches me mid-air and tries to make me look at him. Instead I press my back to his chest, his hard muscles feeling great against my back. He sighs.

"When will you start talking to me, Sookie?" his sad tone makes my heart ache. "You wanted me to start opening up, yet you tend to be even more out of reach for me." He buries his face in my hair.

In a blink I'm in the shower, the freezing cold water hitting my sensitive skin, cleaning it. Godric's shirt is now like a second skin on me, tracing my curves. But that doesn't matter. I know he isn't impressed by my bum, round hips, flat stomach or breasts in any way. I know he wants me for me, not the wrap. Yet I feel that the burden I carry is too heavy and ugly. 'How can I press him into offering me his true self when I'm too afraid to offer mine back?' I wonder, my hands balling into fist, as anger starts pulsating in me. 'How can I be such an egoistic bitch and then act like a Drama Queen!?' the next thing I know I smash my fist against the wall and the tiles crumble down. The searing pain that shoots up my arm brings me back from my thoughts and I take a step back. Suddenly Godric grabs me and spins me around, the ice-cold water now hitting both of us. His hair sticks to his face almost immediately; little rivulets running down his perfectly sculptured face then down his bare chest. I catch myself ogling him so I look away. His hands cup my face and turn me back towards him. His thumbs caress my cheeks as we just stand there, under the water curtain, looking at each other like we have just met. I try to swallow the lump in my throat, to take a hold over my emotions, but I know I can't. My bottom lip starts trembling and I know I have hit the wall…. Hard.

"I'm sorry…" I mutter.

"For what?" his voice is full of emotions.

"For…for…being such a burden… to you…to the nest… to everyone…" my voice quavers and I stop talking.

A single tear runs down my cheek. It's bloody red.

He wipes it off in an instant, shaking his head, worry taking over his usually calm posture.

"No. Don't do it, Sookie." He pleads.

I shake my head as well as I grab his hands into mine. I squeeze them lightly and bring them to my lips, kissing his knuckles. A second later I let them go and look at the brunet. He looks confused.

"I can't let somebody else pay for my sins. Sable already paid the price for stepping in for me. You won't be the second."

"Sookie…" he starts.

"Let me finish." He only nods. "I'm tired of others getting hurt thanks to my incapability of making things right. Now I'm finally able to complete the task. And I'll do it." I take a brief pause to collect my emotions and push them away. "I'm going to kill Sophie-Anne, Godric. And I'm going to do it now."

He looks at me shocked for a second but suddenly all emotions leave his face, as if someone wiped them out with a towel.

"I can't change your mind, can I?"

"No."

"You do know there will be severe consequences?"

"Yes."

"I won't be able to help you then…"

"I know, and I don't want you to get involved."

This time he looks away, having an inner fight with himself. I know I have to go and he needs to rest. The bleeds have already started, his skin is paler and greyer so I take a deep breath and cup his face. He looks at me, his eyes sad.

"I love you. And it has been a great honour for me to be here, to have the chance to know you. For that I'll be always grateful. But here we part ways." The words leave my mouth smooth, not even a single emotion lingering in the end.

With a single twist I snap his neck, his limp body falling in my arms. I waste no time. Laying him on the bed I start preparing myself. After changing my clothes and taking everything I'd probably need, I once again look at him. I know he is listening to my every movement. Biting my lower lip I rush to his side and just watch his peaceful form for a second. Then I bent down and kiss his forehead.

"Find the happiness you deserve, Godric." I murmur against his skin before I back away.

Shutting all my emotions off I leave the room soundlessly.

"Are you sure this will work?" I glance at the little creature in the jar then at Akala and back.

"I'm sure. If this can't kill the Queen, then God help us!" the blonde mumbles as she puts back the nets and traps in the backpack.

"Well… I expected something bigger…" I say, putting the jar in the special container and gently placing in on top of everything else.

"God forbid!" yells Akala as she zips it up and hands it to me.

I roll my eyes and throw the backpack on my back.

"At least it was easy." I add.

"Yeah. The easiest part is over though." She says and I nod, catching up on her thoughts.

"You are going back home, as I have promised you." I reassure the flower girl as we exit the forest and reach the meadow where we teleported not even three hours ago.

She only nods, her silence making me tense. Looking at her bowed head I realise something is troubling her.

"What's wrong?" I question as we reach the circle I drew when we came.

"I have a bad feeling. Can you bring me back to the nest?" her sudden request shocks me.

"To the nest? You know I can't do that. After I kill her I'll either get killed or hide somewhere, but both ways I won't be able to teleport you back to Hawaii, let alone protect you if needed."

"I know all your strength will go in teleporting yourself around, but at least now you'll save some by dropping me off at Godric's."

"Akala…. I…I'm not sure wheatear or not Godric will protect you… we had….somewhat of a fight before I left…" I whisper as my heart clenches painfully.

"You two had a fight!? Again? God, what are you doing with that poor fella'? I'm shipping you both so hard and you keep on pushing him away?!"

"I'm pushing him away for his own good! I'm trying to protect him!" I fight back, feeling offended.

"Oh, yeah? And what was that last fight about? Oh, I remember! He wasn't letting you in and you got angry. I'm okay with that cus' as a woman I was once in the same situation so I know how much it sucks when there's lack of communication. But now? "

I'm left amazed and utterly shocked by her words. As a side viewer Akala's point of view is a lot more subjective than mine, but really? 'Am I really such a bitch?!'

"I… We…" I look away, hiding my face with my hands.

"What happened? You know you can tell me" she says calmly, reassuringly.

"Oh, Akala! I basically told him we can't be together."

"Why!?"

"Because after I kill the Queen it won't be safe. And the last thing I want is for his to jeopardise his life for me. I just can't have any more people suffering because of me." Tears are forming in the corners of my eyes.

Akala stays silent; her eyebrows are knitted together, her expression – sad. I shake my head. 'Be strong! For God's sake you need to kill that bitch before you go all choo-choo!'

"We need to go" I rush the blind girl inside the circle and hug her. Closing my eyes I concentrate on her heartbeat once again.

…_Thump….Thump…Thump…Thump…Thump…._

The dizziness vanishes faster than before and I, pulling poor little stumbling Akala behind me, enter the living room of Godric's house. The white room is empty, only the fishes in the fish tank near the fireplace moving. The bubbling sounds that come from the little aqua habitat sooth my nerves as I lead my friend to the leather couch and lay her down. Her body is limp, her eyelids closing. It seems that the teleportation back sucked out all of her remaining energy. I let her take off her jacket while I rush to my room, grab a blanket and return, only to find the blonde soundly asleep, cuddled like a child. I smile at this sight and near her, careful not to make a sound. I tuck her with the fluffy blanket, her frail form murmuring something under her breath in her sleep. I smirk when I manage to make out the words "**don't let him swim away**". 'Jee, you really do ship Godric and me.'

I turn away and exit the room. In the corridor I stop only for a second to look at the staircase and at the second floor, a sudden flash of memories from the assault making my body stiffen, cold shivers running down my spine. 'And that happened only a few days ago… it feels like it was years from now.' I shake my head for God know which time for today and near the antechamber. A pull in me stops me from grabbing the doorknob and fleeting away, though. It's faint, but tangible and I almost let it lead me back. I know it's Godric who is calling me back. His lonely eyes suddenly flash in front of me, making me take a sharp breath. Because it sucks to be alone, to believe nobody loves you, no one wants you. That's the worst feeling that a person is capable of feeling. Even love isn't so devastating when it's not shared. And I have been feeling that way for a long time before I met _him_. Godric made my world brighter, better. 'He _is_ my mate.' But the insecurity deep in me never really let me tell him. Probably he knows, but does not wish to connect himself with me in any way. Or is afraid of rejection, just like me. Either way I grit my teeth, take a few plunges towards the wooden door and grab the doorknob. Yet I do not twist it. I just stay and listen. Akala's heartbeat drums through the house like a giant gong, but apart from that it's all silent. I close my eyes for a brief moment, trying to compose myself and to push all the memories aside. 'If I want to do this right I have to be merciless and without any prejudices. Godric needs to stay away. ' I open my eyes and twist the knob, pull it and cross the threshold, exiting the house. A second before I close the door the pull reappears even stronger, making me halt for a second. Gripping the knob like my life depends on it I pull the door, closing it with a soft click. And in that very moment I know I have made yet another mistake in my long existence. The only thing I hope for is that in the long run it all be worth it.

I find her in her chambers, her form sprawled like a lazy cat over the upholstered in red suede canapé. Her body is covered by a thin and light dress, which doesn't leave much to the imagination. As I tip-toe next to her sleeping form I notice her flamboyant carrot hair is spewed all over the red pillows, her red nail digging into a pair of dice, the red lipstick on her lips smudged all over her pale skin. I roll my eyes at her. 'Red is so your colour, bitch!' I admit and I feel tempted to just pull her heart out of her ribcage, but that will be too obvious, too easy. Not to mention that I'll give her fast death, not even realizing that I was the one who took her precious life away. 'No,' I shake my head, 'she will get what she deserves – a slow torturing, rotting death!'

As I pull a little box, with holes drilled in its lid, out of my backpack, careful not to touch the places where the butterfly's antennae may have been, Sophie-Anne's form suddenly shifts. I freeze on the spot, taking a short glance at my wrist watch, only to realise it's about noon. 'No way can she wake up so early!' I convince myself and sigh. Putting the 'present' on the coffee table I next pull the rope out of the bag. In the light of the candles its shine illuminates the otherwise foggy end of the spacious room. Before I came here I made sure that the robe was soaked in liquid silver. Thanks to my leather gloves I do not feel pain, but I'm sure she will when I tie her up. A dark smirk forms in the corner of my mouth and I feel like doing the villain laugh right now. Somehow I manage to restrain myself and proceed in pulling stuff out of the bag. The last thing I grab is a little metal box. I open the lid soundlessly and take the little test tube with greenish liquid in it. Of course the end of the tube is blocked by a cork so the poisonous substance stays inside. The smirk on my face grows wider and more mischievous at the very thought what the little brat will go through in the next 48 hours.

After fetching a syringe and a sterile needle out of a side pocket a put the two parts together and take the test tube. The greenish liquid in it now looks dark purple, even black. As I get rid of the cork and put some of the substance in the syringe, of course after checking there are no bubbles inside, I grab Sophie-Anne's wrist and pierce her skin. She moans and I try not to roll my eyes at that erotic sound. Judging by her appearance she had had a little fun before bed. When she doesn't wake up I push the plunger and watch as the fluid leaves its container and enters the ginger's body. I'm pretty sure that by the time I have finally put some painkillers in her system the smirk of my face can scare the shit out of Satan himself. After I glimpse at my watch for a second time I then take the rope and look around. A beautiful and surely quite expensive chandelier hangs from the ceiling. With all his mighty glory and massiveness, in the twilight in the room, I find it both appealing and intimidating. Without a second thought I jump up, steadying myself on the ceiling itself and swirl the rope around the base of the chandelier. After making sure it's going to hold her I jump back down, all this done without even the slightest sound. The next few minutes are dedicated to tying her body with another rope. It's a long one, not a few short pieces so I first tie it around her waist. One end goes down and I tie it around her knees, then down around her ankles. The other half goes up and after turning her around so she is laying on her stomach I tie her arms together behind her back harshly, the knot close to her elbows, and then around her wrists. I'm not gentle at all. I pull and twist without even the slightest feeling of remorse. After all the pain that's about to come will be a lot greater and damaging than this. Even now I can hear the slight hissing sound coming from her burning skin where the dress doesn't cover her and I smirk; Sophie-Anne frowns slightly put that's all. After checking that she is tightly tied I carefully grab her body, trying not to touch myself with the rope, and stand under the chandelier. Looking up at the hanging hook I jump and with a single movement I hang her on it. Her body tilts forwards and swings for a second or two. After I'm sure she won't fall, not that it won't be hilarious to watch, I return back to the coffee table. There, in 10 boxes are hidden the cherries of this cake. I dare not open the lids, though, as I have a little more work to do.

All the walls in this room are white and I find it quite ironic, so I grunt out loud. Tensing I listen for any indication that somebody may have heard me. Sighing with relief a minute later I return to my precious occupation - fetching small spray bottles from the backpack. They are full of old blood and some other pretty gross stuff that smell horrible and are hard to get rid of. I look at the little bottles doubtfully as I have never really managed to test them. Yet I put on a mask over my mouth and nose, and near the wall. I spray a thick straight line. It doesn't smell at all, I conclude, and take off the mask. It doesn't take me more than six minutes to finish my masterpiece. Then another four for the other walls. In the end I have no paint left but as I take a step back to observe what I have done I realise I don't need any more of it. Chuckling smugly I throw everything that's not needed anymore in the backpack and zip it up. I decide that a few more damages out of spite won't hurt me and go ravish her precious wardrobe. After I'm done destroying her whorish clothes I'm left with a feeling of great satisfaction… and a need of a hot shower.

I don't even spare the hanging from the ceiling Queen a last glance as I throw the backpack on my back and garb the light thread that connects all the lids of the boxes. With a light pull they all open and even though I wanna see the butterflies flying around I'm not too keen on meeting them again. Not to mention that the 'paint' finally starts working and an awful reek comes from the walls. I'm gone in a heartbeat, living Sophie-Anne at the mercy of those little creatures. 'Have a good taste of your own medicine, bitch! Hope you rot!'

Five months later I'm still hiding. Sophie-Anne had died in great pain and misery, as the rumours say and like I had predicted we were accused of having something to do with the assault. At least with my sudden departure there was somebody to blame. I don't mind it one bit as that is the way I wanted it to be from the begging. The same night I pulled off that stunt of the Queen I left the States with the first flight and landed in the Czech Republic where I hid for a few weeks until I managed to recover and return back to normal. From there I went to Lithuania, Vilnius to be precise. After only a week I got bored, or paranoid, whichever you choose, and decided it's time to see Prague. It turned out it was a lot more beautiful than I had imagined so I stayed for two weeks, touring through the narrow streets during the night. Time passed slowly, I admit. I missed my father and Jason but I wasn't worried as I heard that shortly after my departure they were allowed to return back to San Diego. My concerned thoughts didn't leave Isy behind as well, even Stan if you dare believe. But Godric's well-being was my greatest worry. I couldn't get to anything apart from the fact that he was in some sort of trouble. No one told me what for. To sum up – those five months passed slower than I had ever expected, the constant worry literally killing my appetite, making me skinnier.

Being left in the shadows is the worst someone can feel during a war time. But I knew it was a necessity when I signed up for it. So imagine my surprise when one evening while I was drinking my tea in a little flat in the outskirts of a small city in Slovenia there was a loud bang on my door. It was so fierce and sudden that I jumped up and almost spilled my tea. I tip-toed to the door, cautiously and ready to attack, only to find Stan, himself, as wet as a chicken on my threshold, shivering from cold.

"You couldn't have hidden in a smuggler place, could ya'?" his voice rumbled from behind his scarf.

I was so happy to see him that I literally jumped at him, wrapping my arms around his neck, giving him a bear hug!

"Crazy chick! I dunno what that man sees in ya!" he grumbled as he entered the living room, seeking warmth.

After an hour and a few cups of warm blood for him, and tea for me, he told me what had happened after my glorious act. And to say that he was both pissed and proud with me was an underestimation. Stan also told me in detail the death of the bitch, how she was almost unrecognizable, how Luke was out of his mind, furious and so on. I had a really good laugh. He was amused as well until he remembered something.

"Collect your things, blonde. We are going back to Dallas. " he almost barked at me. At first I was like, hell no, but he didn't really leave me much choice after saying that it's Godric who sent him to find me.

Once again I end up at the Sycamore Strip airport in Fort Worth, again an hour behind schedule, but this time there's a car waiting for us. During the flight I was in my coffin, collecting all my strength, but now I am restless; I sit in the backseat, with a book on my lap and just gaze at the cars that pass us by. We leave the airport almost immediately, Stan barking orders to somebody through his phone. For a second I wonder if his phone can be tracked or tapped. When he hangs up he grunts, as if reading my thoughts:

"The phone is untraceable."

I only nod and once again gaze out of the window. It's raining. There are cars everywhere and a sudden feeling of déjà vu hits me, making me snort. The traffic jam we end up into, not even half an hour after our landing, makes me giggle, and Stan glares at me. I only chuckle at him and open my book.

The car never really gets to the nest. Rather than that we go to a hotel. The driver parks the SUV in one of the free stops and turns off the engine.

"Stay." Commands Stan as he unbuckles his seatbelt.

"I'm not a freaking dog, Stan! Stop acting like a bitch on her period, for God's sake!" I hiss-yell at him.

He turns around in his seat and his eyes pierce through me. It's too dark to see whether or not they have changed their colour out of anger.

"Listen little Miss-Independent! I wasted almost a month in search of your sorry ass! It has been a fucking long flight and I'm in no mood for your little spiteful mouth!" he hisses back at me.

"Excuse me!? You little..!"

"He is jeopardising everything, and I mean fucking _everything_, for you. Show some respect and obey some goddamn orders! I'll check if it's clear." A few seconds pass as he turns back and opens the door. "Stay put!" he warns before shutting the door.

I only watch as he vanishes in the huge underground parking lot, in search of any spies or dangers. While waiting for Stan's return I think over the thinks he said to me about Godric endangering everything. 'He should have tried to move on! Jeopardising everything to bring me back is so not what he should be doing now!' I scoff at that thought and roll my eyes. A sudden knock on my window indicates Stan's return. I grab my backpack and as he opens the door for me, I exit the car, the cool and stale ait in the lot making me tense.

The elevator ride is awkward as we ride up in silence. We took the back entry as a precaution and even then every now and then Stan was looking around, glaring at random objects or dark corners. At first I was only raising my eyebrow at him but after a few more minutes I calmed down. Now I don't even mind his unusual proximity and his glares whenever someone walks by, even though it's basically impossible for someone to recognise me. He made me put on a wig, short black bob cut, made from human hair, green contact lenses and even gave me a pair of leather gloves along with a jacket from the same material, accompanied by a pair of high heels. Of course when he handed them to me I told him that I'll look like a cheap prostitute. The bastard only smirked and told me to change. Now, fully changed, I feel strange. The wig fits me perfectly and so does everything else, but somehow I feel… out of place. As we walk down the long hallway, my heels chatting loudly in the empty space, I can recall that nervous ball in my stomach returning with full force. Suddenly we stop in front of one of the doors and Stan knocks once then opens it, not waiting to be invited in. I follow close behind, trying not to flinch from the coldness in the room. 'Why is it so freaking cold in here? And what's this smell?' Wrinkling my nose I try to at least see where I'm walking into. The door closes with a click and this time I flinch, stopping dead in my track.

"Where have you brought me, Stan?" I demand, anger mixing with fear in my veins.

"Do not worry yourself so much. You'll get wrinkles!" a familiar voice chuckles and I take a sharp breath when the lights suddenly flicker and illuminate the room.

In a semi-circle in front of the cowboy and me are standing Sable, Akala, Erik, Godric, Isabel and Jason. At first I'm speechless, just staring at them, my eyes bigger than sausages, but then Jason takes a step forward and the next thing I know he is crushing me in a hug. I giggle as he literally sniffs me, his hands wandering up and down my back, as if he wonders whether or not I'm really there. I laugh, a real laugh from months now, at his sudden show of feelings. A minute or two later we finally part, my grin spreading from ear to ear, and look at him. He grabs the wig and pulls it off of my head, releasing my long blonde curls.

"You have pinch-faced!" we both exclaim at the same time.

Our light laugh swims through the otherwise deadly-silent room. As I gaze at the others my smile suddenly vanishes. They are all worried, anxious, sad or somewhat afraid. As I gaze more intensely, the colours of the room fading away, a horrific palette reveals in front of me. In an eye blink everything returns back to normal and I knit my brows, clenching my jaw, as all the happiness and joy from moments ago evaporates in thin space. I gulp as that bad feeling from before, the one I mistook for nervousness due to the upcoming meeting with Godric, comes back from the little hole it hid when the lights came on, dread and horror overflowing in my system.

"What's wrong?" I whisper, my voice almost hoarse from fear.

Even though I didn't say a name, I'm asking Godric and he knows it. His curt nod towards his second-in-command and Stan making that ball turning into a ticking bomb.

"Let's go, Akala." Says Isabel to the blonde and grabs her hand. At that gentle gesture I only raise an eyebrow but dismiss it almost immediately. 'What's happening!?'

In a flash all the others are gone, only Jason and Godric left in the room with me.

"What's going on?" this time my voice is louder.

The males only look at each other and nod, as if reaching a wordless agreement and then the brunet starts walking away.

"Godric!" I hiss at him, blocking his way, "Answer me, for God's sake. What's wrong with all of you!? Why are you acting so strange!?"

His sad blue eyes only look at me apologetically.

"Jason is the one that will tell you everything. I'll be outside if you need me." After a light squeeze on my shoulder he is gone.

"The fuck, Jason!?" I yell at him, "What's wrong with all of you!? You act as if someone…" I leave my sentence unfinished, the realisation hitting me like a train. 'One's missing!'

"No, no, no, no, no!" I whisper, taking a step back when my brother tries to near me, shaking my head in disbelief.

My eyes are wide, my mouth gaping open, I'm panting and I feel sickened to the bone. Putting my left hand over my stomach I nod at my brother.

"Tell me."

"He's dead, Sookie. Ian gave himself into to the Authority."

"What for!?" I yell at my brother.

"He admitted treason, sister." He whispers but I feel like he had just shouted these words at me. 'No…'

"He admitted killing Sophie-Anne in cold blood." My brother adds the last nail to my coffin with a sad smile.

"No…" a faint plea leaves my lips as I stumble backwards, hitting my back in the wall.

I bend in half, my hands gripping my stomach as immerse pain courses through my body. Just now it hits me why it was dark, why it smells of chemicals… cleaning chemicals. 'They killed him in this very room…'

"I'll kill them. I'LL KILL THEM ALL!" I shout, rage giving me the strength I need to push myself up.

"You'll kill no one. You'll stay here, in Dallas, and obey the Sheriff as you are supposed to¬"

"LIKE HELL! I won't let them get away with it!" I hiss as I turn to the door.

Jason blocks it before I reach for the handle, his hands gripping my shoulders with a fierce force. As I look at him through the mist of rage, soul-lights and emotions, I find his stern emotionless face gazing at me with… pity.

"LET ME GO, DAMN YOU!" I continue shouting and struggling, but it's no use. He won't let me go.

Rather than that he grabs me and throws me on the ground, harshly. I feel no pain though and rise immediately, charging at him, all my rage at loose. Grabbing him by the T-shirt I throw him across the room and he hits the wall hard, making it crack. With my fangs bared at him I charge once more, this time grabbing him by the ankle, swinging him at the opposite wall. He hisses, stands up and runs at me, grabbing me by the hair and pushing me down, crushing my face in the floor while doing so, and keeping me put.

"FUCK YOU, JASON!" I yell, trashing around, trying to escape his vice grip.

"Sheriff." He calls out, while trying to stop my attempts to escape.

In a blink the brunet is next to us and before I can do anything he grabs me by the elbow and pulls me up. I try to free myself but his grip is even stronger than my brother's. Out of spite and blinding rage I raise my hand to strike him, believing he'll grab me by the wrist, but that doesn't happen. My hand lands on his cheek with a loud splashing sound, his head snapping to the side. I glare at him even more.

"Are you feeling better now?" his calm voice startles me and I gape at him.

"We need to get her out of here." Before Jason can add anything else we are already in a different room.

Godric is still holding me by the elbow, the red handprint on his cheek contrasting highly to his alabaster skin. I blink at him for a second before I pull myself away. He doesn't try to stop me. After taking a few steps back, as a precaution, I stare at him. He only stares back with those blue greyish eyes of his, now full of hurt, sorrow, and empathy. And just like that, out of nowhere, I break down. Rushing to the nearest corner I fall down and curl into a ball, tears running down my face, hiccups and howls tearing apart the silence of the room. With my back at him, I don't know what Godric is doing but suddenly his hands land on my shoulders. I don't even stiffen. The loud cries, the meaningless syllable and the pleas don't cease and I just find it unbearable and impossible to stop.

"Make it stop, Godric. Please. I beg of you. M-make it stop." I plead as tears keep on running down my face, smudging my vision.

"I can't little one." He murmurs as he pulls me up and carries me bridal style to the bed.

Laying me down on the soft duvet I cuddle into his lap almost immediately, tears staining his khaki pants. He pulls me up and throws the covers over us then hugs me tightly yet gently, giving me choice if I decide to pull away. I cuddle into him even more, feeling as if someone just split me apart. The last things I recall are the soothing caressing movements over my back and hair as Godric tries to relax me and the pain that wracks through my whole body. So much pain…

_I'm in a dark forest. The trees are so old that have buckled under the weight of their huge crowns. The long crooked branches are entangled into each other so fiercely that form a cage above me, not letting any light in. I'm lying on the cold ground; the grass under me is cold and sticky. I barely register the fact that I'm naked. I try to stand up but it's like I'm stuck. Panic takes over my body and I start trashing around. A strong force pushes me back down, and sews my mouth so that I can stop screaming. Blood drips from the holes around my lips, the stitches pulling tightly my sensitive lips._

"_Mhmp!" I try to scream for help but it's pointless. _

_Tears stream down my face as I feel a dark and dangerous figure approaching my body. Suddenly from the ground erupt the roots of the trees, covered in dirt and worms eating them up, and wrap themselves around me, crushing my frail body under their vice grip. I wince under the pain as their pointy ends dig into my flesh. I try to cry out again but the pressure over my throat lets only crocking sounds slip by the stitches. A hand grips my hair and pulls my head up harsh. For a second I think he'll pull it out. Instead he levels my eyes with a huge hound dog's that towers over me, his bottom jam missing, reviling only the upper rows of sharp, like daggers ,teeth. Saliva drips down from its long bifurcated tongue all over my chest and it feels like acid is burning through my flesh. But the most striking thing in this creature, that's literally a decomposing corpse, is its eyes. They are like nothing I have ever seen. Instead of colourful irises it has two huge black holes in which burn purple flames and I can hear thousands of screams, howls of pain and ground-shattering high-pitched yells. And as I look into those flames I feel my soul being pulled out from within me and dragged deeper in that hell. _

"_Traitor! Coward! Murder!" hisses the man holding me by the hair._

"NO!" I cry out, jolting in bed.

It's dark and I can't hear a single thing due to the blood flowing in my head along with the bells that ring in my ears. A whole fucking cathedral to be exact. Suddenly the room illuminates and I cover my eyes, pain shooting through my very core. Panting and shaking I fall back down in the bed, my head spinning like a rollercoaster, barely registering that someone is trying to talk to me. Tears roll down my cheeks, hiccups and moans slipping through my parted lips. My clothes are soaked with sweat and are stuck to my body like a second skin. Hiding my face in my hands I tremble and shake for what seems like an eternity.

"I'm here, Sookie. I'm here." Godric's soothing voice breaks through my barrier and somehow manages to relax me.

"Am I dead?" I whisper, tears still streaming down my face.

Silence follows for a few seconds before his gentle lips kiss my shoulder, his cool breath making my skin bristle. From behind the messy mass of blonde curls I look at him, terrified.

"No, dear. You are not dead." The sad notes in his voice make me wanna cry even more.

"But I will die?"

Suddenly his features harden, his face turning almost darkly serious.

"Whoever dares touch you shall die. Only over my dead body someone shall near you, wishing you harm." His whispered promise, accompanied with a gentle kiss over my shoulder, manages to soothe me and I relax under his touch.

He pulls me towards his chest and I immediately cuddle into him. For a few seconds I stay calm, staring at nothing. Then the thought that my Father died to protect me hits me like a steam locomotive. Another set of tears comes and I just cannot stop them.

"It's all going to be alright, love." assures me the brunet as he strokes my hair, lulling me back to sleep.

After what feels like hours there are no tears left in me. I feel drained, only the numb pain in my chest not letting me rest. 'Should I ever find rest and peace?' I wonder as I slowly rise on my elbows and gaze at the sleeping man under me. His face is wiped off any emotions, his features soft, yet somehow his form radiates worry. 'Even in his sleep he is worried.' I sadly admit.

Somehow I manage to slip out of the bed and stumbling reach the bathroom where I take a fast shower. After I'm sure there is no more sweat or dried tears on my body I get out of the cabin. The steam has formed a mist, the tiles are slippery but I don't care. I grab the nearest towel and wrap myself in it. Exiting the facility I find an intruder towering over Godric.

"Who are you?" I manage to mumble. Thanks to all the crying all my strength is somewhere in between the sheets. 'Shit!'

"It doesn't matter who I am, Sookie." The man says calmly as he reaches to touch Godric's face.

"Don't you even dare!" I hiss threating and charge at the man.

Grabbing him by the neck I throw him in the opposing direction before he can even lay a finger over the smooth surface of the brunet's face. The man only stands up slowly, a wide grin spread all over his face. I glare at him. Not even a word is spoken as he nears the wall.

"There's a saying that…" he starts as he finally reaches the wall, "…that you can resist the sun."

He is panting and blood is running down his head. I can hear his heart pounding rapidly and a second later I literally kick the whole bed to the right. The strength I used almost destroys the integrity of the furniture but at least it moves it in the shadowy end of the room, and also throws me in the opposite direction… right under the merciless rays of the afternoon sun. I scream as my skin starts reddening painfully. But I do not burst into flames.

"Ah! So it is true! You really manage to take up the rays of the sun!" the man grins from his spot next to the opened window.

I only hiss at him, now on my knees in front of him, my towel barely hanging around my body. The light that comes in only makes my skin smoke a little. Nothing more. It's painful – yes. Actually it hurts like a motherfucker, 'cus the afternoon sun is almost as strong as the noon one, but usually it's bearable.

"Having fun?" I growl.

He only nods, tilting his head to the side, his perverted grin making me feel disgusted.

"Good," I coo at him, now my own grin turning creepy, "'cus this is the last time you'll ever see light!" I finish and jump at him.

In a flash I'm stuck to his neck like a leech, my fangs breaking his skin and giving me that magical substance I so much crave for right now. Before I know it I have drained him of all his blood and his limp body falls to the floor, dead. I leave it there and near Godric, making sure he's ok. I find his body coiled in the furthest end of the bed, almost on the edge. A low hiss is audible as I near him. Somehow that manages to amuse me and I chuckle.

"No worries, Sheriff." I purr as I bend over him, gently touching his shoulder, "I'll handle it."

In a flash I'm back at the window, hitting that damn button and the metallic shutters come back down. In a minute the rooms is bathed in darkness once again.

"I'll take care of this. You rest." I tell him and throw on some clothes.

A few hours later it's all done, cleared, buried and etc. and I find myself calmer and more…. Resigned, let's say, with all the latest bullshit. I mourn my Maker's loss, yes, but as he told me multiply times – _The sun keeps on rising, so keep on moving. Let the past be past and the dead- dead._ So that's what I'll do. I'll keep on moving. I'll seek happiness. I'll love. I'll try to feel alive once again, for the good old times. And I'll try to make him feel proud of me.

With a small smile I lie back down in the bed and stare at the ceiling for a couple of minutes. Then I shake my head, turn around and cuddle into Godric. He hugs me almost immediately and I fall asleep in his embrace.


End file.
